After a string of residential burglaries on Vashon, about 10 islanders reclaimed their stolen items at a recent open house run by the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Officials from the sheriff’s office declined to give information on the investigation or any suspects in the burglaries, but said the investigation is still in progress and they continue to hope to make an arrest.

Det. Debby Schmitz came to the island three days last week with a variety of stolen items that had been recovered off-island, including at local pawn shops.

Over the course of three days, roughly 20 people came by the sheriff’s office substation at Courthouse Square, hoping to find items that belonged to them, said Sgt. Cindi West, a spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office. People reclaimed items ranging from heirloom jewelry to chainsaws, though additional jewelry, tools and a guitar went unclaimed, Schmitz said.

Marie Pottinger, who lost 10 pieces of jewelry in a  burglary at her home, said she was at the substation early on the first day and had plenty of company.

“When I came in, there were four women standing there,” she said. “By the time I left, another three had come in.”

Only two women from that group were lucky enough to find any of their items, she said, and she was one of them.

Of the many pieces of jewelry stolen from her home, she got back the least expensive and the most expensive pieces: a tennis bracelet she bought for herself years ago and a gold bracelet she bought secondhand.

Islander Kirsten Frand-sen also had good luck last week and again has her great grandmother’s wedding band in her possession.

“I was so thrilled,” she said. “That is the one piece of my great grandmother that I have.”

Frandsen has been the victim of theft twice now, she said. A few years ago she noticed some special jewelry pieces missing, and though she said she doubted it at the time, she thought she might have misplaced them.

A few months ago, she noticed more pieces missing — her great grandmother’s art-deco wedding band and an engagement ring. When she read the news accounts in The Beachcomber of several women on the island with nearly identical stories, she filed a police report.  The officer who responded confirmed that she had likely been robbed twice, she said.

“I was pretty upset and angry,” she added.

While she knew an investigation was under way, she said she had given up thinking she would get anything back, and she expressed gratitude for the sheriff’s office and Schmitz in particular. Pottinger also expressed gratitude to Schmitz. Her gold bracelet is unusual and difficult to describe, she said, yet Schmitz had been able to tell it might be hers.

West, the sheriff’s office spokeswoman, added that if people think that their office may have their property because of a theft,  they can call Schmitz at 296-3320.

West added that once this case is closed, more information will be released.