The Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre released these pictures after an employee’s car was stolen Monday, Dec. 20. (Supplied photos/Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre)

By battlefordsNOW Staff

Looking for answers

Food Bank employee saddened to have car stolen days before Christmas

Dec 23, 2021 | 1:37 PM

It doesn’t feel much like Christmas for a local employee from the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre who had his car stolen from the back of the building in North Battleford Monday, while he was busy working, helping others.

Kjell Graupe, the warehouse manager, is still a bit in shock after the incident.

“On Monday afternoon, December 20th my vehicle was stolen from behind the Food Bank while we were giving out Christmas Hampers,” he told battlefordsNOW.

He said he was working, changing vehicles and getting into the Food Bank truck in the morning at around 10 a.m. to go pick up some products when he believes his keys to his personal car fell out of his pocket and landed onto the ground.

Graupe said two individuals appeared to have scoped out the area where the vehicle was situated.

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“The original one who came down the alley happened to see the keys and decided to pick them up,” Graupe said. “He did one more lap alone. Then, he did another lap with this other fellow. Then later the other guy showed up alone, and grabbed the vehicle.”

Later, when Graupe went outside to look for his vehicle in the afternoon, it was gone.

“It’s unfortunate,” he said. “I would prefer to have my vehicle right now, that’s for sure. But things happen. It’s better to try to laugh than to cry I think.”

The Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre released these pictures after an employee’s car was stolen Monday, Dec. 20. (Supplied photos/Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre)

Graupe said to make matters worse, his skiis were inside his vehicle when it was taken.

“I had a set of cross-country skiis, which is probably the most important thing to me that was in there,” he said. “Those cross-country skiis were pretty valuable to me because I use them a lot to walk my dog. So I kind of miss those for sure.”

Graupe said he also can’t afford to get another vehicle right now, as he had been saving his money to go to school next year.

“That was a pretty reliable vehicle – a Toyota Corolla,” he added. “Everyone says they last forever, and I was definitely feeling the same way. I wasn’t really wanting to part with it, especially not during Christmas when I have other things to spend money on.”

One of the Food Bank volunteers who heard about the incident also could not believe what happened, saying “it’s like stealing from your own grandmother.”

The RCMP continue to investigate the incident.

In their report, police described the vehicle as a 2003 black Toyota Corolla with Saskatchewan licence plate 644JYB.

If anyone has any information they are asked to contact the RCMP or Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

–

Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow