Thieves took keys from an unlocked valet box at Murphy's restaurant in Virginia-Highland and drove two cars off the lot, including one that contained an item of high sentimental value, police said.
The owner of a stolen 2010 Mercedes told police his father's ashes were in the car when it was taken the night of Feb. 9. His father had died the week before in a car wreck, and he had planned to scatter the ashes the next day.
A 2010 Audi also was stolen. A third set of keys was taken, but that vehicle remained on the lot.
The valet company owner told the victims that his insurance will cover the costs of the stolen cars and keys.
The victims said they parked their car with the valet company, Pro Park, around 7 p.m., according to a police report. When they returned to the lot around 10:30 p.m. to retrieve their vehicles, one of the lot attendants said that their cars had been stolen, the police report says.
The employees at Pro Park told police they put the keys in a valet lock box. The employees added that they "were running around parking other cars that [were] coming in, and the lock box was left unlocked and unattended," the police report said.
According to the report, police are hoping that a surveillance camera at a nearby bank caught the incident on tape.
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