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OREM — Elder Brooks Maile, a new missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU football signee, was enjoying lunch at Chuck-A-Rama Wednesday before saying goodbye to his family for two years.
It wasn’t until he and his family arrived at the Missionary Training Center that they realized their car had been burglarized and some items taken were irreplaceable and priceless.
“Ultimately we all just worry about Kolei’s scriptures that cannot be replaced,” said Maile’s aunt, Milika Pikula Moeai.
Kolei is Maile’s late father. The scriptures are very important to Kolei and his family, Moeai said.
“He was devastated,” Moeai said. “We all as a family were just heartbroken.”
The scriptures were in one of several bags stolen from the car. Several other valuables were taken as well, including a laptop, Moeai said.
The family filed a police report and were able to see surveillance footage from the restaurant that showed two men in a white van stealing the family’s belongings.
On Thursday, Orem police arrested David Brian Beames, 41, in connection to the theft. However, none of the family’s belongings were recovered.
“We’re still hopeful we will be able to locate it,” Orem Police Lt. Trent Colledge said Thursday.
Police spotted the white van shown in surveillance footage Thursday and pulled Beames over, according to a police report.
Detectives were able to speak with Beames’ boss who confirmed Beames had possession of the van Wednesday at the time of the burglary, according to the report.
Police searched the van and found drug paraphernalia inside. Beames was arrested and booked into Utah County Jail.
Beames isn’t cooperating with police about the stolen items, according to Colledge. Police are still searching for the second man seen in the surveillance footage, he added.
Maile will be in the MTC for several weeks before he leaves for his mission in Tonga, Moeai said. The family is hopeful his late father’s scriptures are found before then.
“We have prayed so much,” Moeai said. “Everyone’s prayed so much that those scriptures just somehow come back to us.”
