PEARLAND, Texas — The family of 20-year-old Jayson Mumme is pleading with the public to return an item taken from his memorial while they continue grieving.
Jayson's mother, Lisa Mumme, said the reality of knowing her son won't be home for Christmas is weighing heavily.
"This is the first Christmas without my son," Mumme said.
She wants one thing to be returned this Christmas if she can't have her son: "The helmet, I would do anything to have that helmet back."
The helmet sat on a cross at the intersection of Dixie Farm and Hastings Friendswood Road in Pearland to mark the spot where Jayson died.
"He loved motorcycles," Lisa said.
He was hit on his motorcycle less than a mile away from home after leaving his job at Chic-Fil-A on Nov. 6.
The helmet attached to the memorial wasn't the one worn by Jayson.
"The helmet was, actually, the visor was spray-painted silver and the helmet straps were cut off so it can’t be used at all," Lisa said.
It carries sentimental meaning to those who helped install it with handwritten messages of love and well wishes.
"It was bolted on so somebody really had to want to take it and I just ... I don't understand how people can be so cruel," Lisa said.
However, it wasn't just the helmet that disappeared.
"Friday, I found out that everything had been removed," Lisa said.
Pearland Public Works took down the memorial. The city requires approval for memorials in the public right of way, which a city spokesperson explained in a statement:
"The City of Pearland has a policy to guide the placement of a temporary memorial in the public right of way. It is designed to respect those grieving the loss of life while protecting the safety of the traveling public. This memorial had not been through the approval process, so it was respectfully removed and relocated to the Public Works Service Center for safekeeping. The mother of the young man who lost his life has been in contact with City staff and was informed that the City had the memorial as well as informed of the City’s permitting process. The family is scheduled to pick up the memorial items on Thursday, December 21. In addition to the family possessions, a printed version of the Memorial Policy has been provided and the team would be honored to navigate this process and future memorial installation with the family."
The city will return the items and Lisa plans to re-install the now-approved memorial so Jayson's legacy can live on.
"He was enlisting in the military this July to join the Army. The kid had goals. He had a full life ahead of him and that was unfortunately cut short," Lisa said.
The family is offering a $500 reward no questions asked to anyone who returns the helmet. They also set up a GoFundMe account to help cover funeral expenses.