Crystals, minerals returned to Jonesboro estate - KAIT-Jonesboro, AR-News, weather, sports

Officers said Tony Tidwell called police to the home of his deceased mother in regards to the theft of several pieces from a stone collection worth thousands of dollars.

Neighborhood residents told police they saw a male and female go to the house located on the 500 block of Freeman in a black Ford truck with a trailer attached, unload a backhoe and pick up  stones from the yard Friday and Saturday, September 21 and 22.

Tracks are visible in the front yard at Mika Pelham's grandparents' house.

"Someone had just blatantly come in broad daylight, and for two or three hours even blocked off the street with a backhoe digging up all of my grandparents', their whole yard," said Pelham. "(Police) said that the neighbors saw a tan SUV and a black truck. The black truck had a trailer."

Both of Pelham's grandparents have passed away, her 91-year-old grandmother in May 2012. She and her father are in the process of settling the woman's estate. Pelham said the monetary value of the stones does not compare to the sentimental value.

"I just remember playing around on the rocks and climbing on them like I was climbing a mountain. I remember watching my daughters do the same thing," she said. "It was sparkling rocks everywhere, as far as you could see all different kinds of colors."

The grandparents' personal of hobby of collecting and displaying the stones caused the community to take notice.

"All the years that I watched my grandparents go spelunking and collect those rocks and all their hard work, and they enjoyed it so much. The community got to enjoy it too," Pelham said. "I remember schools calling up my grandfather and school buses full of kids coming on field trips to my grandfather's yard."

Jonesboro police said they have no leads in the investigation.

Anyone with information can call the Jonesboro Police Department at (870) 935-5553.