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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Miss Washington spots stolen pageant memento

Jeremy Pawloski Olympian

Talia Hastie, of Tumwater, Wash., winner of the 1988 Miss Washington pageant, will soon be reunited with a stolen rhinestone ring that commemorated her participation in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City that year.

The ring has little monetary value, but Hastie said that when she recognized its photo during an open house of stolen property Friday on Mottman Road, tears welled up in her eyes. She said she reported the ring stolen after a burglary of her Tumwater home in May 2010.

“To lose mementos like that, it’s very awful,” she said. “I’ve got to tell you, when I saw it on the photo book, I started crying,” she said. “I’m just so happy.”

Hastie said about $35,000 in stolen jewelry and other household items are still missing even though she viewed thousands of stolen items on display at the open house.

The stolen items were recovered in June from a single home on Rich Road, and they are on display at the warehouse where the open house is being held. Detectives said that a number of burglars fenced stolen items at the Rich Road home as far back as 2006, exchanging the items for drugs or money.

Thurston County and Lacey detectives organized the open house to try to reunite burglary victims with their stolen items and to bolster the criminal case against the individuals who lived at the Rich Road home.

Hastie said she still has fond memories of winning the Miss Washington pageant in 1988, when she was attending the American Conservatory of Music in Seattle. She added that she will never forget competing in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City that year, and the Miss America Crown Ring she purchased after the competition has sentimental value.

She now lives in Tumwater and is active in local church and school groups. She has two sons, one of whom plays football at Tumwater High School.

She grew up in Poulsbo, Wash.

Thurston County sheriff’s Lt. Greg Elwin said the ring can’t be returned to Hastie until after the criminal case against the suspects from the Rich Road residence is complete.