Community helps couple after engagement ring theft

MARIETTA, Ga. — The community is stepping up to help a couple after thieves stole their engagement ring right before the big proposal on Valentine's Day.

Support has been pouring since the couple's story first aired last week on Channel 2 Action News. Within days, Atlanta-based LOUD Security Systems jumped in, completely wiring a new alarm system for the couple's home.

Last week, John Fennelly showed Channel 2 how thieves smashed in the back door of their Marietta home and stole several items, including the $6,000 engagement ring he'd tucked away in a drawer. He was going to propose to Ashley Neil, his girlfriend of three years, on Valentine's Day. The ring was not insured.

"To replace the ring, it will take me months to build up the money to be able to buy it because I don't make a lot of money every week," Fennelly told Channel 2's Erin Coleman.

Since then, not only has LOUD Security offered help, but D. Geller and Sons Jeweler stepped up.

"Everybody's been really nice and understanding about our situation," Neil said.

The store is giving the couple a $2,000 credit toward a new ring at D. Geller and Sons. But perhaps more importantly, the jewelry store is increasing a reward to find the original ring that was stolen. It had sentimental value. The small diamonds around the center one-karat stone were from Fennelly's grandfather's ring. He recently died of cancer.

"We weren't expecting anything. Obviously, we were just bummed and hoping maybe the thieves would feel bad and give us our ring back," Neil said. "That's all, we really we didn't want anything, but people have been really nice stepping forward."

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WSBTV