PARKERSBURG - Two Wood County women who discovered weapons stolen from a local veterans museum were recognized by law enforcement officials Monday.
Ashley Jones and Lisa Meeks were honored by the Wood County Sheriff's Department for stopping to inspect an object in the road. Their efforts led to the recovery of weapons that had been stolen in December from the Veterans Museum of the Mid-Ohio Valley.
Sheriff Jeff Sandy gave them a small plaque for community spirit.
"We wanted to do something for them that rose to the occasion," he said.
The two women - mother and daughter - were returning from classes at West Virginia University at Parkersburg when they saw an object in the middle of Dutch Ridge Road. They stopped, and along with a man who lived nearby, moved the object.
"It was heavy and we unzipped it to see what was inside." Jones said. "We saw it was guns and we called 911."
The object, a guitar case, contained weapons stolen from the museum.
"These women took time from their schedule, got involved, and as a result showed the American spirit to do what was right," Sandy said.
The two woman are criminal justice majors.
Gary Farris, director of the museum, said he was elated to have the items returned.
The department is still looking for a missing bayonet and subsequent suspects. Sandy said the investigation is on-going.
