A Quesnel gold miner is offering a “substantial” reward for any information leading to the return of approximately $300,000 in stolen gold.
According to his daughter, Tim Kleman’s home on the Barkerville Highway was broken into on Saturday, Feb. 20. After searching through the house, the thieves made off with Kleman’s gold and a few other keepsakes including a sentimental diamond ring.
“They also so lovingly scratched ‘F.U.’ in the T.V.,” Kleman’s daughter, Kirsty Cole said. “I think maybe it’s a personal matter. They obviously were going there to look for the gold.”
Cole said the thieves left other valuables in the house alone while taking the gold, which was in one-ounce wafers, five-ounce bars along with one-ounce Maple Leaf coins.
Kleman, who is 70 years old and has been mining for 40 years, is currently in Mexico. When his house was left unoccupied for a night, the thieves pounced.
Cole said the gold was mostly in bars and was mined by Kleman himself at various claims around Quesnel. Pawn shops and jewellery stores in the area have been notified to be on the lookout for the gold.
Cole lives in Prince George, and has been blown away by the community’s response.
“I didn’t realize until I went to Quesnel yesterday how supportive that community is to my father,” she said. “We went to the gold places and they are genuinely feeling bad for my father and he knows all of them.”
Quesnel RCMP confirmed they are actively investigating a break-in on the Barkerville Highway. Anyone with information is asked to call the police 250-992-9211.
READ MORE: Quesnel good Samaritan has purse stolen
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