Commerce One Founder's Ashes Missing in Lafayette Mausoleum Urn Theft

Funeral workers found that someone had raided a private mausoleum at in Lafayette on Sunday and made off with a bronze urn containing the ashes of dotcom-era technology pioneer Thomas Gonzales Jr.

"According to Deputy Brumfield of the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Department, this is the second such occurrence in recent weeks," Joel Gonzales told Lamorinda Patch on Tuesday. "However, this is the first time actual remains were stolen. The urn was constructed of bronze and has no real market value. The family believes that the perpetrators of this crime mistakenly believed it to be made of gold."

The family has posted a substantial reward for any information that leads to the successful return of the urn and Thomas Gonzales Jr.’s remains. Gonzales was a founder of Pleasanton-based Commerce One.

Although the family said in a statement that they would like to see the person or person's responsible for this act held accountable, their focus is on the return of their loved one's remains.

Lamorinda has been hit hard by metal thieves in recent months, losing an historical marker to the Gold Rush-era Joaquin Moraga adobe as well as copper wiring to air-conditioning and refrigeration systems, sometimes when those units were in use.