Baby's stolen ashes found on Hawaiian beach

WAIALUA, Hawaii - Ashes of an infant kept in an urn that was stolen during a Hawaii burglary have been recovered.

KHON-TV reports the cremated remains of Leimomi Kahele's five-day-old son, who died in 2004 after being born premature, were found Thursday on a beach about 20 miles from the family's home.

"If there's anything in the world that I could ever have, I would want that urn back," mother Leimomi Kahele told CBS affiliate KGMB in Honolulu just hours before the ashes were found.

Beachgoer Tupu Wheeler told the station she spotted the ashes, which according to KGMB were in a plastic bag, along with a photo album and some other items placed neatly on a rock ledge. The urn was not recovered.

Wheeler said she later looked online and discovered that a story about an infant's ashes being stolen from a Waialua home had been on the news.

Kahele said she feels like "a weight has been lifted off of me" now that she has her son's ashes back. Her brother, Tino Soberano, also expressed his relief to KGMB. "My family is standing strong now, and we're really thankful. Well, you can't really thank anyone who devastated you, but the one the we wanted back, we got back," he said.

The ashes and a ceramic urn were among several items stolen when Kahele's home was burglarized and ransacked Wednesday.

Police are still investigating the theft.