ATLANTA -- The wedding and engagement rings stolen from a woman who died at Grady Memorial Hospital's emergency room were returned to her husband Friday afternoon.

Alan Armstrong told WSB-TV Channel 2 reporter Tom Jones the rings were found at an Atlanta pawn shop. They were stolen from Armstrong's wife, Katherine, at Grady Memorial Hospital. She was taken there after a crash on I-85 in late April.

Alan Armstrong wiped away tears as his wife's wedding rings were returned. "These were so special to her," he said. "She would be just mortified to know they were sitting in a pawn shop because some scum bag had taken them from her finger."

Police arrested Tacuma Jawara, 54, a worker in the Grady social services unit, and charged him with one count of theft by taking. Investigators said Jawara was the employee in charge of Armstrong's personal property after her death. Video from a security camera shows Jawara with a property bag containing the rings, according to police.

Officials told Channel 2 Jawara's nephew pawned the $6,000 rings for $650.

A massive searched was launched for the rings which Alan Armstrong said Katherine had designed herself and there were no others like them.

Armstrong’s boss was so outraged that he’s put up $20,000 to help get them back.

“And I just want to have something for those kids to have that I can say was hers and she cherished and that she would like them to be able to pass on to their wives and their kids,” said Armstrong.

Katherine Armstrong left behind two children -- 4-year-old Jackson and 1-year-old Adam.

Jawara remains in the Fulton County Jail on $25,000 bond.