Police say an intruder broke into a North Carolina home and stole a veteran’s Purple Heart medal, then traded it for a Mountain Dew, WBTV reports. Charles Carr, 31, is suspected of breaking into the home of Erica Laws, the daughter of Vietnam War vet David Laws, and nabbing the Purple Heart along with other medals the deceased vet had been awarded. The person who traded the Purple Heart medal for a Code Red Mountain Dew alerted authorities after seeing a story about the robbery on TV, and it was returned to Erica. Carr is wanted by police and some of the medals are still missing.

The robbery added to what has already been a tumultuous period for Erica Laws as she battled cancer last year while attempting to start a business. “It was a hard year,” she said. “I felt so bad because he protected the country and I can’t even protect his memory.”