John Johnston is on a desperate search for some very personal stolen possessions.
On Sunday night, he was playing a game of cricket at the Baseball Academy at McMahon Stadium. A thief walked in and stole his jacket. Inside were his wallet and car keys. The criminal also took off in Johnston’s car.
Johnston said he didn’t care about his car being gone and was more concerned with the jewelry he left inside his coat pocket.
“I didn’t want to let myself feel everything I was feeling because I knew how bad it would be,” Johnston said.
Two rings that belonged to his late parents were taken: his mother’s engagement ring and his father’s signet ring, which has the family crest on it.
“It was so special to have these intimate items with me all the time,” Johnston said.
“They felt like talismans and I felt invulnerable when I had my mom’s ring on and my dad’s ring there,” he added.
“It just meant so much. They had them all their lives and they were mine and one day they would be my children’s.”
Johnston said he has been searching the nearby dumpsters in hopes the criminal tossed his jacket away without realizing the jewelry was inside. He also shared photos of the rings with a handful of pawnshops. Robbie Barrett of Sharky’s Pawn Shop promised to keep an eye out for them in the event the thief attempts to sell them.
“We quiz them on it,” he said. “If they don’t know anything about it, we want to see people get their stuff back.”
“I still think some miracle is going to happen and that’s what I’m holding onto,” Johnston said.