Restaurant parking lot theft leaves Canadian family unable to return home

HOUSTON — A Canadian family visiting the U.S. for the holidays is seeking help after thieves stole nearly all of their belongings, including their passports, leaving them stranded far from home.

Mingchu Shih said she and her family traveled to the United States for what was supposed to be a joyful Christmas vacation, with stops planned in several cities.

“Our planning is from arriving in Dallas through Houston to San Antonio, Austin, see Big Bend, New Mexico and fly back from New Mexico,” Shih said.

Those plans unraveled on Christmas Eve while the family was dining at a dumpling restaurant in Houston. Shih said they parked their car in a nearby lot after seeing a sign indicating restaurant customers were allowed to park there.

When they returned, they found the vehicle had been broken into.

“My daughter said, ‘Why is the wind coming?’ and then we looked at the back,” Shih said. “Oh my God, it was smashed.”

The thieves took all of the family’s luggage along with laptops, tablets, a cellphone, credit cards and all four of their Canadian passports, Shih said.

“It’s all gone — everything,” she said.

Shih said the family filed a police report, but so far none of the stolen items have been recovered. The timing of the theft has made the situation even more difficult. Because of the holiday weekend, Canadian embassies and consulates are closed until Monday, delaying the family’s ability to apply for emergency travel documents.

Until then, Shih said, the family is left waiting and hoping they can receive those documents before their flight home on Jan. 2. 

To the thieves, she said, “at least give me the passport back. You can take all the other things. The passports are very, very important to us.”

Officials advise travelers who lose important documents abroad to act quickly. The U.S. State Department recommends filing a police report immediately, reporting stolen documents to prevent identity theft, and contacting the nearest embassy or consulate to apply for an emergency passport or travel document.

For Shih and her family, the holiday trip has turned into an unexpected ordeal — one they hope will soon end so they can return home safely.

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