Just in time for Christmas and her anniversary, the wedding ring stolen from a tanning salon is back on the hand of an Aurora woman.
KUSA-TV in Denver first shared the story on Wednesday and two days later, the ring was back to its rightful owner.
Jael Burroughs didn't think she'd see her wedding ring again but hung on to a sliver of hope. She said the story was shared across the country on social media and she got numerous message of support and tips from the community.
"I've very grateful to 9NEWS, I'm very grateful to Aurora PD and most of all I'm grateful to the public for helping me," she said.
On Friday night, Aurora Police called Burroughs' husband to say someone returned the ring.
"Merry Christmas to me! I'm just so excited!" said Burroughs as she looked at her left hand.
She said the ring is never coming off her finger.
Last weekend she accidentally left her wedding ring at "At The Beach" tanning at South Peoria Street and Parker Road in Aurora.
An honest employee called her to say she found it and that it would be safe behind the counter until Burroughs came to pick it up. But the store manager had other plans and took the $6,000-$10,000 ring.
Store manager Candis McDonald, 21, was arrested for felony theft after confessing to police but said she no longer had the ring.
"It just represents a lot. So much more to me than just jewelry and money," Burroughs said in her first interview with 9NEWS.
Her husband, Sgt. Tim Burroughs, is a U.S. Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan. They were married just two months before he went overseas.
"It was just a symbol of me waiting for him to come home," Burroughs said with tears in her eyes.
While Aurora officers are still looking for other potential suspects, the wedding ring was dropped off at the police station Friday.
"We walked in and my husband was standing there and he kind of had this smirk on his face and they said 'Here's your ring.' I looked at it and it was in a little baggie and I was like, 'That's my ring!' Then they were like, 'Can you please put it on to make sure that it fits?' So I did and then the police officer said, 'Can you give it to your husband?' Then he asked him to get down on one knee and give me back my ring. It was so cool!" she said.
Burroughs said she feels like she is newly engaged again. She and her husband will celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary at the end of December.
The tanning salon manager was fired and faces felony theft charges.
