Garden Grove woman reunited with lost diamond ring

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (KABC) -- Thaer Aqel spent a long time looking for the perfect wedding ring.

"I would say at least three months to find that ring and to find the perfect ring that she wants with the band," Aqel said.

When he put it on his wife Lenah Hilal's finger in 2008, they both knew it was the right one.

"It's a diamond ring. It's one thing that will stay on your finger. It's special," she said.

A little over a month ago, the couple was shopping at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. When they got back to their home in Garden Grove, the ring was gone. In a panic, Hilal began to retrace her steps.

"I was using, I guess, a family restroom. I have a habit of taking it off while I wash my hands," she said.

Hilal immediately called the mall's lost and found, but no one had turned anything in. Knowing the value of the ring, she assumed she would never see it again.

"I know how much effort went into buying this ring and that's what hurt me a lot," Hilal said.

But on Valentine's Day, the couple received a call from the mall's customer service. Somebody found the ring. When Hilal went to pick it up, she was given a bag.

Ben Bridge Jewelers, located inside the mall, had polished the ring, boxed it and threw in a box of chocolates.

"They were so nice. I was moved by it, and for me, I think that's how I want to treat people, you know," she said.

Hilal says it's going to take a lot for her to take the ring off again. She wishes she knew who turned it in and sends this message to everyone who helped make her Valentine's Day so special: "I believe in the saying, 'What comes around goes around', and I believe great things are going to happen to you because of that."

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