Coach Wesley Ward | Keeneland
Via Katie Petrunyak
LEXINGTON, KY – Mostly the trophies were stolen just over a month ago from coach Wesley Ward’s home in Versailles, Kentucky was rehabilitated. According to Assistant Chief Rob Young of the Versailles Police Department, an individual has been charged with receiving stolen property and is currently in custody.
On the morning of February 8, 2022, a thief walked away with 14 trophies, many of which Ward received from the Royal Ascot meeting, but they did not take any valuables. Other items in the house such as electronics and some other trophies were left behind. .
Ward was informed of his recovered titles on Thursday.
Update: Thanks to everyone who tweeted back about my family’s stolen trophies. They were recovered by Versailles PD and the criminals were caught! Criminals have been destroying loot for precious metals, but we’re proud to have justice served! pic.twitter.com/c6rbnpbRUm
– Riley Ward (@riley_ward1) March 10, 2022
“We got a call from Versailles Police Department detective Steve Sparkman and he brought me in and said they had recovered most of the titles,” Ward said. “There are still a few missing. Those trophies were worth nothing in terms of money so at least we got them back and the memories are still there.”
Assistant Chief Young said that seven of the lost trophies have been recovered.
“It wasn’t the result we wanted because they were badly damaged,” he admitted. “Versailles police worked with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Lexington Police Department and we reinstated them in Lexington on Wednesday. The incident is happening. We are working to revoke additional titles as well as identify all the parties involved.”
Due to the state of the ongoing case, Young was unable to share more information about the subject in custody.
Ward says that while the trophies recovered have been burned for any precious metals, he added that they are still recognizable and the Royal Ascot insignia can still be seen. When the trophies were first lost, Ward said he would ask about finding replacement trophies, but now says he wants to keep the recovered trophies despite their damage. .
“We’ll keep what we have,” he said. “We will have to dust them and clean them, but we are happy to have them back.
Ward credits his son, Riley, for helping to restore the titles by contacting various local news outlets including WCYT and LEX18NEWS.
“My son was there in all of these victories and was on the podium when we received all these titles,” he said. “It really hit him hard so he was the one who reached out to the news outlets. I can’t thank them enough because according to Detective Sparkman, one of the biggest reasons they were found was because they received a tip from someone and I guess there was a lot of talk, so let’s go. Thank God for my boy. He was the one who restored them.”
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This story was posted in Top News and tagged Kentucky, Lexington, rob, Royal Ascot, steal, title, Versailles, Wesley Ward.
