HONOLULU -- A Hawaii family was already upset Monday night that their home had been burglarized. Family members were shocked to discover thieves had stolen something irreplaceable -- the ashes of a stillborn child, KITV-TV reported.

The burglars who struck a townhome in Waimanalo also took jewelry and children's piggybanks while the Mejia family was gone earlier in the day. It's believed the burglars came in through a sliding glass door.

Investigators believe the thieves went upstairs searching for jewelry and other valuables and entered a bedroom where there is a memorial for the couple's infant who three years ago was a stillborn at five months.

The family kept the baby's ashes in a gold bag, wrapped in a jewelry pouch, which the thieves stole.

"My heart just dropped. I said, 'Are you sure?' I wanted to make sure that it was positive that they took it," said Kalani Mejia.

Kalani and Jason Mejia suspect the thieves thought they were taking more jewelry.

"It was in a pouch, like a jewelry pouch, kind of. I think they just grabbed it thinking it was something of value. It was to us, but not to them," Kalani Mejia said.

Jason Mejia said, "I don't think if they knew what this was that they would have taken it."

The burglars also stole the piggybanks of their daughter, 9-year-old Tyler, and her brother, 5-year-old Kamanu, whose Nintendo game system was swiped.

Jason Mejia's wedding ring and class ring and Kalani's Hawaiian bracelet were stolen as well.

"I don't want any of my jewelry back. Just give me my son's ashes back and return it to us," she said.

Her husband said, "There's no monetary value, and we don't care about the things, the material things, but give us our baby's remains, his ashes."

The Mejias said the ashes were in a gold or cream-colored square acrylic box. They will take it back no questions asked.