HOUSTON – It's a story that sounds too good to be true, but it isn't. A white-faced Longines watch with black leather bands has been in Jowell Lydon's family for 53 years. The inscription on the back shows it originally belonged to Richard Lydon, Jowell's grandfather, who handed down the watch to Jowell's father, who passed it to Jowell a few years ago.
"The watch is from 1961," said Jowell Lydon.
But three years ago someone broke into Jowell Lydon's home in The Heights and stole his computer, television and jewelry -- including his grandfather's treasured watch.
"It was the one family heirloom. Really, the one thing of all the stuff that was stolen that couldn't really be replaced," said Lydon.
Fast-forward three years to this past Friday. Harris County sheriff's detectives phoned Jowell Lydon's father in San Diego informing him the watch had been found after the arrest of five burglary suspects in Northwest Harris County. The timepiece was sitting in their trunk under a toolbox.
After some detective work, an officer used the inscription to track down Jowell Lydon's father, who then contacted Jowell with the good news.
"Things like this, you don't expect them to happen," said Jowell Lydon. "So, to actually have it back, you know, I kind of wear it all the time now. It's like I want to make sure it doesn't ever disappear."
Detectives are still investigating but right now said there doesn't appear to be a connection between the man who broke into Jowell Lydon's home three years ago and the five men who were arrested on breaking and entering charges last month.