Teen finds expensive jewelry in donated jacket, tracks down grateful owner in Worcester
WORCESTER - When Luke Coelho put on his new donated jacket last week, he was so grateful because he now had something that would keep him warm.
But he would soon discover the old jacket is more valuable and precious than he could even imagine. Inside the coat pocket was two Gucci watches, a bracelet and two diamond rings.
The 17-year-old senior recently transferred to South High Community School in Worcester from Brazil.
To help provide him with enough clothes for the winter he got help from the school's clothes donation program called Andy's Attic. The jacket was donated by Dave Kenney who was cleaning out his house.
"I had no clue what was in the jacket but what was in the jacket was some expensive stuff," Kenney said.
Luke and his aunt Taryn Souza knew they had to get these precious item back to the rightful owner, but all they had to go on was the name on the jacket and the company that no longer exists.
"I work from home and I didn't do any work that morning because I was just obsessed with the idea of getting this back," Souza said.
After a series of calls and some investigative work, Dave got a call he never thought was coming.
"It was the wedding ring I bought my wife," Kenney said. "It meant the world that my daughters got their mother's stuff back."
It turns out the items found inside the jacket had a lot more meaning than originally thought. It's been a tough year for Dave Kenney. He recently lost his mother and his wife. The jewelry found inside the jacket belongs to them.
"Giving it back, like filled a hole in his heart," Luke said.
"This fine young man did the right thing and his aunt," Kenney said. "I totally appreciate what they did for me and my family."
As a thank you Dave found Luke a job and more importantly a new friendship is formed through good deeds done by all.
"Like a week of blessings," Luke said.