Family reunited with son’s ashes stolen from Scottsdale home

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - A Scottsdale family has been reunited with their son’s cremated ashes Friday after an urn was stolen during a burglary this week.

Debbie Schelske lost her 19-year-old son, Cole, when he had a deadly reaction to some medication.

She slept with Cole's urn in her bedroom. With an angel on top, he was the first thing she saw each and every morning.

On Wednesday, someone broke into the Schelske’s home near 68th Street and McDowell Road, and took Cole’s urn.

In their rush to grab as many valuables as possible, along with electronics, a handgun and more, Schelske thinks the burglars mistook the urn for a jewelry box. 

"I can't imagine someone coming into your house and taking an urn if they knew what it was," she said.

Schelske told ABC15 that someone dropped her son’s ashes off at a church Friday.

She received the ashes back by Scottsdale police.