A DeKalb man whose FSU championship rings were stolen in a burglary in November may be getting one ring back, courtesy of a woman in Canada.
A London, Ontario woman was browsing Kijiji ads and noticed a ring for sale: a 2001 Orange Bowl Florida State championship ring engraved with the name of Jeff Womble.
Womble, a Dunwoody High School grad, played nose tackle at FSU from 1999 to 2003. It was one of five of Womble's championship rings that was stolen when his mother's DeKalb County home was burglarized. The ring was listed in the ad for $1,500.
The woman, who did not want to be identified, told the London Free Press newspaper that she discovered in news reports that the ring had been stolen when the home of Womble's mother, April Williams, was burglarized around Thanksgiving.
Among the items stolen were the Orange Bowl ring, three Atlantic Coast Conference rings and a national championship ring.
The woman then contacted Womble and his mother via Facebook to let them know that she had located the ring, and offered to pay the $1,500 and return the ring to him, Williams said.
Williams said she and Womble suggested the woman contact police.
She did, and police were able to recover the ring from a London resident who acquired it through a private sale, according to the newspaper and police.
"It's going to be returned shortly. Arrangements are being made," London police spokesman Dennis Rivest told the newspaper.
Williams said she and Womble are awaiting the return of the ring and are grateful to the Good Samaritan.
If he gets it, it will actually be the second of Womble's rings to be returned. In late December, a man returned one of his ACC rings. He told Williams he found it in the street in Lithonia.
DeKalb police have tied an 11-year-old Lithonia boy to the burglary through a letter that was left at the scene that included his name and his school. Police told Williams that other boys may have been involved in the burglary that also netted TVs, lap top, iPad and a camcorder.
The 11-year-old is due in juvenile court on Jan. 26, according to Williams.
When the rings first went missing, Womble made a heartfelt plea for their return.
"As far as what they're made of, they're not Super Bowl rings, they're not diamond encrusted, or anything like that," Womble told the AJC. "But only one team wins the national championship each year, and I just happened to be a part of the team that won in 1999 against Virginia Tech.
Womble played against former Falcon and now Eagles QB Michael Vick that year, he said. "That's what makes them sentimental to us," he said.
About the Author
