Anyone missing an urn with their dog’s ashes, some old military medals, or a stack of old family photos might want to check with the Carlsbad Police Department.

Officers are looking for the owners of a number of items, some fairly unusual, believed to have been stolen, possibly in a series of recent burglaries across a wide area of San Diego County, police said Friday.

The stolen property was found recently when an officer making a routine check of a motel on Pio Pico Drive, near the cross streets of Palm and Magnolia avenues, noticed an older Jeep SUV that didn’t match the commercial license plates that were attached to it.

“This thing was packed to the gills,” said police Lt. Keven Lehan. There were more than 80 items inside, he said, leaving barely enough room for the driver.


Further investigation showed the vehicle had been stolen the previous weekend in La Jolla, and the officer arrested a suspect, John Fuller, 44, who was staying at the motel under a false identity, according to a Police Department news release.

In addition to the ashes, medals and photos, they discovered electronics equipment, ammunition, watches, jewelry, keys, clothing, wallets and more. Lehan said the items could have come from a series of burglaries, or possibly from a single home or a storage unit.

Police say Fuller was charged with auto theft, possession of stolen property and identity theft. Carlsbad police had arrested him previously on other charges.

A dog’s ashes and old photos were among unusual items found in the possession of a suspected car thief this week.


more photos of the recovered property can be seen on the police department’s Facebook page at facebook.com/carlsbadpolicedepartment. Owners interested in the items can call Detective Adam Young at 760-931-2143.