Crime & Safety

Nearby: Thieves Take Treasured Family Memento From Couple Passing Through

Nearby Dunwoody: A young couple awoke Sunday morning to find their car parked at the Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter hotel had been broken into. A pair of cufflinks and a gold ring given to the victim's grandson by his late grandfather was taken.

Engaged couple, Jessica Prue and Kyle Rifkind planned to make a memorable car trip out of their move from Palo Alto, California to New York City, where they will start new jobs.  

They’ve stopped in Albuquerque, N.M., and the Grand Canyon, since their departure on Dec. 15, and decided to drive through the southern part of the country to avoid the snow, Prue said.

Their trip took an unfortunate turn overnight Saturday in Sandy Springs. The couple awoke Sunday morning to find their car parked at the Sheraton Atlanta Perimeter hotel had been broken into. 

Find out what's happening in Dunwoodywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We lost many things of value and other more sentimental mementos” said Prue, 26. “…Two laptops, all of my fiance's clothes, our books, and most importantly the only mementos that my fiance has from his grandfather who passed recently.”

Kyle’s grandfather, Albert Rifkind died on Nov. 1 in Illinois. He was a jeweler and Holocaust survivor, and told his children that his skills repairing watches for work camp guards is what kept him alive.

Find out what's happening in Dunwoodywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A pair of cufflinks that Albert Rifkind gave to his grandson and a gold ring to match were among the items stolen.

See Chicago Tribune story on Albert Rifkind

The cufflinks have a lot of Jewish symbolism, Prue said, and the ring, which the elder Rifkind had made for his sons and grandsons, has sentimental value.

“That’s been the hard part. In time we’ll have to figure out how to replace all the clothes. Things like that [the mementos] can’t be replaced," she said.

The couple’s car was attached to a U-Haul that was locked and not robbed. It’s believed the suspects broke a rear window and grabbed the items without entering the vehicle, according to the Sandy Springs Police report. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.