Woman loses diamond ring after it disappears from stereo donated to Purple Heart

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It was supposed to a good deed for a deserving charity. But for a local woman, her gift came at a bigger price than she's willing to pay.

She says she dropped off some items at a nearby Purple Heart charity trailer. But it was not until after she left a stack of giveaways that she realized there was something there she definitely wanted to keep.

Like many homeowners do from time to time, Patty was cleaning out some items to get rid of. She took them to the nearest Purple Heart charity trailer in the Memorial area.

"We listed everything that we had donated. The stereo is on here," she said.

A couple of days later, as she walked by the place the stereo once stood, panic set in.

"For some reason, I just looked up at it and it dawned on me, oh my gosh my ring was in that CD player that we donated," Patty said.

She says that's where she had hidden the gold and diamond ring she had made.

"The ring is made of thick gold, it's a geometric shape and it's sort of like a triangle on top. It has a large teardrop diamond right here and a lot of little diamonds all around the top of it," Patty said.

Ten years ago, it was appraised at $8,000.

"The ring is a family ring that was going to be passed down to my son," she said.

Patty says after searching the house she went back to the trailer, certain the ring was in the stereo.

"There was nothing inside. My ring was gone," she said.

The supervisor for Purple Heart trailers says "we will search for the ring and do what we can to try and help."

"Maybe it fell out and when they take the things out, it will be in the truck somewhere," Patty said.

Patty also contacted the Houston Police Department but unfortunately they say there isn't a lot they can to help her and our KTRK legal analyst agrees.

"If it's not in the stereo, it's lost or in her house," KTRK legal analyst Joel Androphy said.

Androphy says the owner may have to look for luck more than any legal battle.

"If Purple Heart finds it then they need to return it. They need to look for it as a good Samaritan and credible agency would do," he said.

It's a hard lesson learned Patty wants to share.

"Look in every nook and cranny before you donate something," she said.

But she hasn't given up on getting the ring back.

"I believe in a God of miracles and maybe it will happen," Patty said.

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local, christine dobbyn

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