Merced man left heartbroken after motorcycle gifted by late wife is stolen

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- "That thing meant everything to him when she passed that is the one thing he said he would never get rid of," said Brianne Bodemer about her dad Mondo's motorcycle.

She said her dad Mondo Gonzalez vowed to forever cherish the motorcycle his late wife Marina gave him, but Saturday night thieves ripped it away from him.

"They didn't steal the bike, they stole the memory," said Gabriel Castaneda, Mondo's best friend.

According to Bodemer her dad's Suzuki GSXR 1000 was stolen from outside his Merced home.

The pain is still too raw even for Mondo to speak with us, but Castaneda said Mondo and Marina would often ride the bike together.

"It is not really about the bike, it is more about the sentimental value behind it, being that she gave that to him," he said.

Marina died last December after a nearly seven year battle with cancer.

Bodemer said the pain from the loss is still overwhelming.

"Talking to him, you hear how sad and how much it hurts him still," she said.

The loss of the bike is only adding to Mondo's grief.

"It would fill a big void for my dad," said Bodemer.

The family has filed a police report and is now pleading the person who stole it returns it.

Bodomer said the condition of the bike doesn't matter. They just want it back.

"If you don't feel comfortable bringing it back, drop it off somewhere safe and message me on Facebook and say, 'Hey, the bike is here,'" she said.

Bodomer is also offering $300 reward.

Although her dad can't see Marina, she's hopeful he'll be reunited with the motorcycle and all the cherished memories associated with it.