Texas woman's stolen class ring returned 18 years later

Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A Texas woman whose class ring was stolen during a burglary 18 years ago was reunited with the long-lost item on Christmas Day.

Norah Constantino returned to San Antonio's Southside High School, where she graduated in 1989, to be presented with her long-lost ring by Southside Independent School District officials.

"My mom passed away in 2003 from breast cancer, and a couple of months later my house was broken into and stuff that was taken from my house was my jewelry from my jewelry box," Constantino told KSAT-TV.

Mendi Wadley, a teller from the Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union, said the ring was found in a change machine around 2017 and ended up in the business' lost and found.

Wadley said she recently spotted the ring in the lost and found and decided to try to track down the owner. She used Google to find contact information for the school district, which was able to contact Constantino and arrange the Christmas Day reunion.

"I got my class ring back after 18 years. It's finally back," Constantino said.

Constantino said she now has her own mission: locating the owner of a class ring her parents found several years ago.

"I just want to pay it forward, and hopefully it gets to the right owner like mine did to me," Constantino said.