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A man has been arrested and charged with robbing a jewelry store in Woodford County last month.

Aaron McDaniel is charged with third-degree robbery for stealing approximately $100,000 in jewelry from EquiTreasures in Midway.

Helen Ringus, the owner of the store, noticed stones and gold were missing from trays under the display cases, and she discovered someone had pried open the back window. At that point, she decided to take matters into her own hands. "I decided to sleep on the floor, lights out, all the curtains drawn, and see what happens," she said.

A few days later, she confronted the thief after he broke in again. "Of course I started screaming and he kept approaching me saying, give me five minutes to explain before you call police, and I said don't come near me! I think I said that twice. When I could reach him, I clobbered him with my stick."

Police say McDaniel is the son of the landlord who is renting Ringus her store space. Police believe that is how McDaniel was able to get keys to the building.

As for Ringus, she may be small, but she's not one to mess with, and she says she'd do it again, to protect her jewels. "I took a chance but this is my life. This is my money. I work hard for this. He doesn't have a job. He doesn't work. He steals from people. He deserves to be punished."