Current Conditions
50°F - CLEAR
(818) (464) (184) (17) (2) (2)
Her boyfriend, Leonard Greene, drove to Lancaster from his home in the Boston area to shock her with a marriage proposal three years ago.
"He went to Park City and bought the ring and showed up at my door with flowers," Bugner said Wednesday. "It was a total surprise."
The 48-year-old Paradise woman got a less fortunate surprise Tuesday night.
A thief stole Bugner's engagement ring and other jewelry, together valued at $12,000, from her vehicle in the Salisbury Township Community Park.
"I'm devastated," Bugner said. "It's something that can't be replaced. You can get another ring but it is not the one you got on the day."
Bugner told state police she parked in the community park's lot along White Horse Road about 6:15 p.m.
It was getting dark an hour later when she returned to her vehicle and found her passenger-side window smashed.
Three rings, three bracelets, a watch, purse, duffel bag, wallet and credit cards were listed as stolen from her vehicle, according to the state police report issued early Wednesday.
"I couldn't believe it," she said. "I chose to go to that park because it is so open. There's a lot of people around. Police patrol there. The parking area is lit up. I felt safe there."
A soccer team and two softball teams practiced nearby in the park while Bugner ran Tuesday, she said. She hopes someone saw something that can help catch the thief.
The fact that one of her credit cards was used for a $75 purchase at a Turkey Hill store in Gap also could produce a lead for state police, she said.
Bugner, who works as a construction co-ordinator, doesn't wear her jewelry when she runs because she is afraid of someone noticing it and then following her to try to steal it.
She covered up her valuables in her vehicle with her jacket Tuesday night so they would be out of sight, but the thief chose her vehicle anyway.
Bugner hopes somehow, someday, she'll get her 14-karat solitaire gold ring back. The ring has "The Leo" inscribed in its band and a serial number on its stone.
More importantly, she still looks forward to marrying Greene after her daughter graduates from high school next year.
Bugner started running six years ago in part to stay fit. She was thrilled when she topped her personal best in the Red Rose Run by four minutes earlier this year.
She broke her ankle in the summer, recuperated and then jumped back into her running shoes.
The theft, however, made Bugner feel violated, and she said she hasn't decided if she will return to the park.
"I have a treadmill at home," she said, "but I like being outdoors."
