Police Track Stolen Christmas Tree from Police Officer’s Daughter’s Grave

29 Jan 2015

By using GPS tracking, the man who stole a Christmas tree from a police officer’s daughter’s grave is tracked down.

When Ben Henault, a police officer in Taunton, Massachusetts, discovered a Christmas tree placed on his daughter’s grave was stolen, he was glad that this time, he decided to use a GPS tracking device. This was not the first time a tree has been stolen from her grave. In fact, the repeated theft has gone on for several years. It was hard for Henault not to take it personally.

Henault’s daughter, Rachel Henault, died in 1999 after suffering for a year from brain cancer. She was only seven years old.

Since she was diagnosed the year before right before Christmas, Henault admits that the holiday season is a very hard time in their family. To remember her each year, he places a small decorated Christmas tree at the cemetery where she is buried.

After the first few years of having the tree stolen from her grave, Henault began to get suspicious. “Is this personal? Who is doing this? Is this because I’m a police officer?” he told reporters.

Now that global positioning systems (GPS) are being used to track down various stolen items and capture the criminals behind these thefts, Henault knew it was time for him to use the same technology. He wanted to not only find out who was doing this, but why. He was curious if it was random or committed by the same person, and if there was a reason his family was being targeted every year.

Henault is a sergeant for the Taunton Police Department, and decided to implant a GPS tracking device in the tree this year. He put the Christmas tree in a pot, and left the small tracking device in the soil where the thief would not spot it.

Once again, on New Year’s Eve, the tree was stolen. As soon as it left the programmed location, Henault got an alert that it had moved. The police followed the GPS tracker quickly, and found it at a house not far from the cemetery.

When they tracked down the tree, they found that a man named Gerard Dutra had stolen it. He told reporters that was a misunderstanding and coincidence, and that he did not steal the trees in the years previous.

“This is the first year I’ve done that. Maybe someone else has taken the trees in the past, but it wasn’t me,” Dutra claimed.

He also told the police that he figured since Christmas was over, it was okay to take the tree as they would eventually get thrown away. At his home, he had several other trees, including potted and planted, but claims none of them were stolen. Dutra is now looking at vandalism charges.

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About George Karonis

George Karonis is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of LiveViewGPS Inc., a company he established in 2008 with the vision of making real-time GPS tracking more reliable, affordable, and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Over the past two decades, he has built a reputation as an innovator in GPS tracking, fleet management, asset monitoring, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PTToC) communications. Under George's leadership, LiveViewGPS has grown into a nationally recognized provider of GPS tracking solutions, serving businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, law enforcement organizations, and public works departments throughout the United States. The company's technology helps organizations improve operational efficiency, protect valuable assets, increase driver safety, and reduce operating costs through real-time location intelligence. Before founding LiveViewGPS, George developed a background in security, surveillance, and emerging location technologies. His passion for innovation and practical problem solving has driven the development of products that combine dependable hardware with easy-to-use cloud software, giving customers actionable information when it matters most. In 2018, George expanded into nationwide Push-to-Talk over Cellular communications by launching PeakPTT, providing businesses with rugged, instant communication solutions that operate over LTE and Wi-Fi networks. His focus has remained the same throughout his career: delivering dependable technology backed by exceptional customer service and long-term customer relationships. George regularly writes about GPS tracking, fleet management, asset protection, business technology, and communication systems. Through this blog, he shares industry insights, practical advice, and emerging trends to help organizations make informed decisions about tracking technology and connected operations.