CAPE CORAL, FL. — A Cape Coral family is making a plea for the return of some precious sentimental items that were stolen during a home burglary.
The family says the suspect or suspects were able to get into the home through their garage door.
John Ross, whose family lives in the home, says it happened within a matter of hours on Wednesday.
Ross's wife had left for work around 6:30 in the morning, and when he got home just before noon, he found their garage door propped open with a skateboard.
"Got in and noticed they had completely wiped us out, everything from electronics to social security cards, birth certificates," said Ross.
Ross says his wife's wedding dress, along with a hunting rifle and another firearm, were also stolen.
"They took everything that wasn't bolted down," said Ross.
"The guns I know I'm never going to see again, along with the TVs, DVDs, video game systems, that's all gone."
But it's the irreplaceable items Ross is pleading to get back.
"It's the family photos, the wedding photos, honeymoon photos, pictures of [my] kids with grandparents that are no longer with us," said Ross.
Those photos were in flash drives kept inside a jewelry box that was stolen.
Inside that jewelry box were also his children's hospital wristbands from when they were born.
Fortunately, no one was home during the break-in, but Ross says with three children and another on the way times are tough to have to through an experience like this.
"Sad to think that people are really like that, but unfortunately, they are," said Ross.
But he isn't giving up, he's gone to pawn shops hoping to recover some of those sentimental items but hasn't had luck.
Now he's just hoping whoever has those sentimental items, returns them.
"They obviously know where I live, they obviously know my schedule, come by when I'm not home and put them on my front porch, I don't care, I just want the stuff back that I can't replace," said Ross.
The Cape Coral Police Department says they are investigating this case.
Ross asks that anyone who can help recover those items or can lend a helping hand contact him here.
