UPDATE:
A special necklace lost at the Florida State Fair has found its way back to the rightful owner.
Thousands of people shared images of the fingerprint pendant on social media. Within hours, a local family contacted the necklace's owner, Lucia Robles, on Facebook, to say their daughter had found the necklace at the fair Saturday, but didn't know what it was. After seeing all the posts online Saturday, they reached out to Robles, and shared a photo of the necklace with her. It was her missing jewelry.
The two families met Sunday night, and now Robles has the necklace hanging back on her neck.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A Brandon mother is desperate to find a missing piece of jewelry. She says it came loose while visiting the Florida State Fair in Hillsborough County on Saturday.
The necklace is sterling silver, and is especially significant because of the pendant, which has an embossed finger print. The print belongs to Ashley Atherley. Atherley, a Tampa native, was killed by her estranged husband back on Thanksgiving weekend of 2013 in California.
Atherley's mother, Lucia Robles, had the necklace made after her daughter died. She's worn it around her neck every single day, and says without it, she feels a part of her is missing.
"Because we had to do a closed casket, I really didn't get to have that last moment with her. So the necklace just made me feel like I had her with me all the time. I never take it off," said Robles.
Robles had identical necklaces made for Ashley's two daughters, who she has now adopted. So she knows she can have a new one made, but it wouldn't be the same since she's been wearing the original one with a personalized inscription for more than three years.
Robles has contacted the lost and found office at the fair, but her necklace hasn't turned up. She's hoping anyone who visits the fair the next several days will keep a look out for it, so she can hopefully get it back.
Her family was mostly in the entertainment building at the fair, so it's most likely the jewelry got lost in that area or in the parking lot.
