A South Philadelphia woman is asking for help finding sentimental jewelry and family belongings that disappeared after her car was stolen just days before she planned to leave for Florida.
Julia MacDonald said she discovered early Saturday that her 2020 Honda Accord was missing from near 13th and Bigler streets. She had packed the vehicle the night before with clothing, personal items and jewelry as she prepared for the move.
Surveillance footage reviewed by local television stations shows several people accessing the vehicle at about 4 a.m. and driving it away.
MacDonald said the thieves appeared to have deliberately gained entry to the car. She told NBC10 that the driver’s-side door was accessed with a drill before the vehicle was reprogrammed and taken.
After realizing the car was gone, MacDonald tried to locate some of her belongings using the tracking feature on her AirPods. The signal led her toward Mollbore Terrace, where surveillance footage showed the suspects stopping and leaving belongings along the roadway.
Some of MacDonald’s possessions were later recovered with help from neighbors, but several items remain missing.
Among the belongings she most wants back are pieces of jewelry with deep family significance. MacDonald said some belonged to her late grandmother, who died in 2021. Other jewelry was connected to her years working as a flight attendant.
For MacDonald, the missing items are difficult to replace because their value is personal rather than simply financial.
The stolen Honda was eventually recovered in North Philadelphia, but MacDonald said the vehicle was no longer drivable. She and her father have been staying in an Airbnb while they work through the insurance process.
The theft has disrupted what was already a major transition for MacDonald as she prepared to leave South Philadelphia for Florida. Beyond the vehicle itself, she said the loss of personal belongings and family keepsakes has made the situation especially difficult.
Some of the recovered property included everyday items that can eventually be replaced. The family jewelry, however, is different.
MacDonald is now hoping that whoever has the remaining jewelry and heirlooms will return them. She said she is especially interested in recovering the pieces that belonged to her grandmother and the items tied to important periods of her own life.
She has filed a police report and is asking anyone who may have information about the theft, the suspects or the missing belongings to contact Philadelphia police.
Police information released through the local reports lists 215-686-TIPS for information about the case.
