INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — It has been said that there is no honor among thieves. That proverb certainly rings true in the case of a burglar who broke into a 90-year-old woman’s house in Independence while she was at church.

The heist didn’t involve stealing TVs or other electronics. This burglar went straight for the gold.

Of all the things Arline Sasser collects, her most prized collector’s item is the music box. She has more than 200 different kinds all around her house.

Most were given to her by her late husband Al. Her jewelry collection comes in a close second.

But most of her treasured items are now gone.

“You just feel violated that someone was in your house and you didn’t know about it. And then to find out they took some of your prized possessions, so to speak, and your mementos, things that can’t really be replaced,” Sasser said.

The 90-year-old came home after prayers to find her back door wide open, the door knob broken, and mail scattered on the floor. The heartbreak really set in when she realized none of the replaceable items like TVs or computers were taken, just some of her most valuable memories.

“I was hurt. I wasn’t ready to get rid of them,” Sasser said.

She said she forgot to turn the alarm system on, but said that’s no excuse to break in to someone’s home.

Even though her jewelry is gone, her husband’s memory lives on in this house. That is something no burglar can ever take away.

Sasser said from now on, she’ll make sure to turn on the alarm.