NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Days after a jewelry store in Hillsboro Village was broken into, strangers began finding a few of the stolen pieces nearby.
Construction project manager Tim Gauldin said he looked down at what he thought was just a piece of metal behind his restaurant development on 21st Avenue South last Wednesday.
“I picked it up and it was a ring,” Gauldin told NewsChannel 5. “Kind of surprised me because you see construction sites and you see all kinds of pieces of metal, so it was odd I even looked and picked something up.”
Gauldin didn’t think much about it until he found an employee of Village Cleaners down the block looking at the ground as if he was searching for something.
“I kind of got excited because I found this guy’s ring he’s got to be looking for it,” Gauldin explained.
The employee had just found a different ring and was seeking for more. The two rings found so far belonged to Peacock Jewelry across the street where police investigated a burglary more than a week ago.
Surveillance video captured what appeared to be a man using a piece of concrete block to smash through the door at around 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. The owners said the burglar used the same concrete piece to break the showcase and steal several trays carrying nearly 300 rings worth $330,000.
They also said the same man peered into the store and placed the concrete around a light pole earlier in the night.
Co-owner Joey Nunley had the rings out to showcase the clients first thing in the morning.
“Normally we keep everything locked up like that but I had kind of thought I had it hidden. I guess whoever robbed us knew what they were looking for,” Nunley told NewsChannel 5.
Nunley and his co-owner Paul Wilson were surprised to hear from Gauldin and the Village Cleaners worker who wanted to return the rings. The owners said despite what happened, the incident proved there are people with good character still out there.
“I was very excited, thankful and grateful that we have neighbors that would be honest enough to give us back our stuff,” Nunley said.
As of Monday morning, Metro police haven’t arrested a suspect. If you have information, call Metro Crime Stoppers at 615-74-CRIME.
