Thieves steal Severn boy's funeral money | Maryland Gazette (HometownGlenBurnie.com)

A falling tree branch hit 7-year-old Steven Richards and killed him April 9 and his parents weren't ready for the $6,100 funeral bill that followed.

To help cover the costs, Jennifer and Ron Titchenell placed donation cans at area businesses in search of help.

Then someone stole two of their 10 cans.

"I don't understand it," Mr. Titchenell, Steven's stepfather, said Wednesday outside their home on Telegraph Road. "That was the last thing I expected to happen."

The Titchenells did not file police reports last week when they learned of the thefts from Pizza Express, 13 Aquahart Road in Glen Burnie, and Lucky's Superette, 1101 Odenton Road in Odenton. They plan to file one, but they don't expect police to solve the case or find their money.

For now, the Titchenells are just trying to figure out how to pay the bills. Mrs. Titchenell said they still owe a couple of thousand dollars to Stallings Funeral Home in Pasadena and that the bill is due May 10.

"It's strapped us real bad," Mrs. Titchenell said.

Mr. Titchenell is working at Lucky's Superette on Crain Highway and doing yard work where he can find it.

Donations are helping - Mrs. Titchenell said friends and area businesses already have kicked in about $2,400 - and Lee Stallings, funeral director at Stallings Funeral home, said he won't call a collection agent on May 11.

"We work with people," he said, explaining how families will regularly pay small amounts over months and years.

Mrs. Titchenell said she doesn't know how or when the donation cans, which clearly explained what happened and what the money was for, were stolen.

She said the Pizza Express can was stolen first, sometime early last week. She said a friend called her and told her it was gone. No one saw who stole it and the security cameras weren't working, she said.

About two or three days later, another friend called about the Lucky's can. Her friend thought Mrs. Titchenell had emptied the can, but quickly learned the truth.

Again, Mrs. Titchenell said they don't know of anyone who saw the theft.

"All I can do is pray for them," Mrs. Titchenell said of the thieves.

She said she hoped whoever took the money used it to buy food for their children - not drugs.

"I would understand that," she said.

Steven, a first-grader at Richard Henry Lee Elementary School in Glen Burnie, was in his backyard at about 5 p.m. April 9 when a tree limb fell and hit him on the head. Witnesses said there was little to no wind at the time of the accident.

It was the second tragedy to strike at the house in three months.

Two-year-old Derrick James "DJ" Clark Jr., whose mother is friends with Mrs. Titchenell, was killed by a car on Jan. 9 in front of 7962 Telegraph Road.

"We have a curse here for some reason," Debbie Smith, DJ's mother, said shortly after Steven's death. "We can't figure out why."

Memorial contributions may be made at any Bank of America branch. Donations should be directed to Jennifer Beckner, care of Steven Richards Fund, account number 446008530712.