LEWISBURG -- A man from Lewisburg is pleading for the return of a stolen engagement ring that he says is worth more than half a million dollars.
Randall Ludwig said he and his wife were planning to sell that ring so they could pay their medical bills and retire, but because the couple neglected to take out an insurance policy, their nest egg may be gone.
When Randall got engaged to his wife Bonnie, he gave her a ring fit for a queen. Now, the three-stone sparkler, estimated to be worth more than half a million dollars, is gone--stolen out of his SUV.
“I beat up on myself every day, every minute of every day. There is just nothing at all. This is the only thing that I think about,” he said.
Back on March 12, Randall parked his vehicle in a lot in Lewisburg and left the ring behind. He was planning to take it to the jewelers later to be cleaned. He said when he got back from having lunch downtown and saw what happened, his heart sank. A thief had smashed the window, taking the ring and other items. The loss is doubly devastating because the Ludwigs had neglected to insure the 6-figure rock. The couple had been planning it to sell to an auction house in Manhattan.
“With the mounting bills, medical bills, that we have and just to live for retirement, we need the ring back desperately,” Randall Ludwig said.
Police in Union County are investigating, but after more than two months, Ludwig is shattered.
“A very large piece of us is missing, both my wife and I. There are times she just breaks down in tears.”
Ludwig is offering a $10,000 reward for the return of the ring--no questions asked.
“Indescribable, the relief it would be to get that ring back,” he said.
If you have any information you can call the Buffalo Valley Regional Police at 570-524-4302.
