Rockhampton family devastated after son’s urn stolen from Berserker home

The callous burglary of a couple’s family home saw many precious personal items stolen, but the only thing they wanted back was the urn with their baby boy’s ashes in it.

Natasha Tacon and Braeden Carolan holding their baby boy's urn. Picture: Aden Stokes

A Rockhampton couple were left devastated after their baby boy’s ashes were stolen in a heartless robbery on Monday.

The thief broke into Natasha Tacon and Braeden Carolan’s home on Thorn St, Berserker, between 12.30pm and 3.15pm on July 15 while the family was out, stealing precious items, including their son’s ashes which were in an urn in a black velvet box, along with phone chargers, airpods, iPad, money, their daughter’s bracelet and SES medals.

Natasha and Braeden’s son, Alec James Carolan, was just nine hours old when he died in his mother’s arms surrounded by family.

Alec would have been three years old next month.

Natasha Tacon holding her baby boy's urn. Picture: Aden Stokes

Natasha said Braeden had left for work around 12.40pm and that when she returned home at 3pm and saw the front door open and thought her partner had left the house unlocked.

“I walked into a full on shambles,” she said.

“All the cupboards were open.

“Everything was laying everywhere on the ground.

“It wasn’t until I walked up to our bedroom where I saw the chaos in our bedroom and figured out someone’s broken in.

“That’s when I called the cops.”

She said the thief had even gone through her two young children’s rooms.

Rockhampton couple Natasha Tacon and Braeden Carolan were left devastated after their baby boy’s ashes were stolen in a heartless robbery on Monday, July 13 from their Thorn St, Berserker home and their home was trashed.

But it was the theft of their baby boy’s urn that devastated the couple.

“That was the one thing that broke me because we don’t have much of him,” she said.

“He was only a baby when he passed and that’s all we had of him.

“I couldn’t care less about anything else.

“I just needed him back.”

Rockhampton couple Natasha Tacon and Braeden Carolan were left devastated after their baby boy’s ashes were stolen in a heartless robbery on Monday, July 13 from their Thorn St, Berserker home and their home was trashed.

On Tuesday, Natasha received word that her baby boy’s urn had been dumped in a dumpster at The Frenchville Sports Club.

“They found a black backpack, left a message on the Facebook page and then my sister got in contact with us,” she said.

“I was happy and also just so angry that it was dumped like that in a dumpster.”

She said the thief had taken off his pants in the couple’s bedroom and left in a pair of her partner’s.

Braeden said the thief’s belt was still in the pants, along with a pocket knife, all of which had been handed over to police.

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said police investigations into the break and enter are ongoing.

The spokeswoman said anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage that could assist investigations are urged to contact police.

Rockhampton couple Natasha Tacon and Braeden Carolan were left devastated after their baby boy’ ashes were stolen in a heartless robbery on Monday, July 13 from their Thorn St, Berserker home and their home was ravaged.

Natasha wanted to thank the Rockhampton community for sharing news of the theft across social media.

“If it wasn’t for them sharing it probably wouldn’t have reached them,” she said.

“We owe everything to everyone who shared.

“This is why we love this community because they do get behind people when this crap happens.”

She said she wanted to see the thief arrested.

“I want this person arrested and if there are any charges that can be laid, I want them laid because this has really broken me where we don’t feel safe in our own home,” she said.

“They need to know there are going to be consequences for what they have done because they have taken something so precious.”

Originally published as Rockhampton family devastated after son’s urn stolen from Berserker home