Lost class ring returned after nearly 30 years

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A Newport Harbor High School graduate has her treasured class ring back nearly 30 years after she lost it.

Merrilea East graduated in 1986. She saved money from her job at a local 7-Eleven to buy a class ring. She also paid a little extra to have it engraved, not knowing that decision would pay off in the future.

She lost the ring about a year after graduation. It turns out a woman named Angela found it in Laguna Beach. Luckily for Merrilea, Angela tried periodically to find the owner.

After hours of digging on Facebook, she did.

"I text messaged her right away and I said, 'Hi this is Merrilea, I guess you have my ring,'" she said. "She right away sent me a picture of the ring. It just flooded memories back. Oh, my ring!"

Angela says she had the ring for so long it almost came to feel like a part of her family, but she's happy she was able to return it to its grateful owner.