OKLAHOMA CITY -- A wedding ring stolen from the hand of a sleeping 78-year-old woman has been found at a pawn shop, but, with her health failing, her daughter fears she may never get it back before she dies.
Trela Wishon said the ring was stolen off of her elderly mother's hand while she was in an Oklahoma City senior living home, Accel at Crystal Park. She said it happened the same night she was given an Ambien the first time.
"Then when she went to eat breakfast," Wishon said, "she noticed on her hand that her rings were missing."
The ring, or rings, started as her wedding ring. As she could afford to, Wishon's mother would add stones to it. Then, on her 50th anniversary, and then 60th anniversary, her mother added two new diamond studded bands and had all three fused together.
"She was so proud of that set of rings," Wishon said, "so very proud of it."
They never thought they would see the ring again.
Then on Wednesday, a detective called Wishon with great news. He had located the ring at an Oklahoma City pawn shop, which had apparently bought it from someone for $475.
"I just started screaming – I was excited, I was happy, I cried a little bit," Wishon said. "I said, 'Mom, they found your rings! They found your rings!' Her eyes opened up real bright."
But she didn't have the heart to tell her the bad news she had learned from the police.
"The pawn shop is still wanting to maintain ownership of those rings because they forked out $475 for them," Wishon said.
Wishon was told by officers that before the ring can be released to anyone, Wishon and the pawn shop may have to fight over its ownership in property court, unless someone pays the pawn shop for it beforehand.
"Right now, all I want to do is get those rings back to my mom," Wishon said, "because she's in the hospital right now, she's not expected to live, and she's so wishing she could have those rings back, and she's not getting them yet."
