What was supposed to be a day dedicated to spreading their newborn baby's ashes turned into a Grand Theft Auto-esque mission for one family from Colorado.
Sierra and AJ Navarro drove to the Window Rock District of St. Michaels, Arizona, from Grand Junction, Colorado, this week with plans to spread the ashes of their newborn baby, Sawyer. According to ABC15, Sawyer died on December 23 of Heterotaxy Syndrome, a rare birth defect that causes the heart and other organs to fail.
Wednesday, the Navarros were getting ready to leave the Navajo Land Inn when AJ went to warm up his truck. He said he heard the engine revving up and he thought it was going to "blow up or something." Two women jumped in the truck to try to steal it, AJ told ABC15.
Sawyer's ashes were in the front seat of the stolen truck.
"I was born here on the reservation; my mom's side is all here. We were going to spread the ashes on my mom's grave because my mom never got to see them and all I could think about was, his ashes are in the front seat of that truck," the Navarros said.
AJ was able to hop in the bed of the truck as it sped away thanks to ice on the ground slowing the thieves down.
"I'm back here, I'm going to ride it out but as soon as I got close to the highway, all I could think is my wife and daughter. If something happened to me and they rolled the truck and I'm in the back, it's not a good situation to be in," AJ said.
He jumped out. He's only suffering minor cuts and bruises.
The Navarros' truck was found at a car wash in Chinle, Arizona, Wednesday evening — about an hour northwest of where the truck was stolen. The urn with Sawyer's ashes was returned to the Navarros that night.
Two people are in custody according to tow truck drivers, but police have not confirmed that to ABC15. The investigation is still ongoing.