A bride-to-be was devastated after her wedding dress was stolen at the airport.
Amber Oglesby, an Army officer, was returning home for Thanksgiving after serving in Kosovo when she realized her handbag had gone missing at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, WSDU first reported on Thursday, Dec. 4.
Unfortunately, in that bag she was carrying the wedding dress she had bought in Kosovo, as well as her passport and identification cards.
According to NBC, Oglesby was met at the airport by her fiancé, Cody Aelum, and their 1-year-old daughter. Aelum was loading bags into the car while she held her daughter. But after they got home, they realized Oglesby's handbag was missing.
"It has more sentimental value. I had that thing that I couldn't wait to bring back with me and share this beautiful moment with family and friends," she said.
Oglesby told the outlet that she had placed an AirTag in her luggage, which initially led her to another part of the airport, specifically an employee parking garage. But the next morning, she received another signal from an apartment in Kenner, Louisiana.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office later arrested a suspect in the case.
The suspect was identified as Jesus Orellana Castillo, according to Sheriff's Office spokesman Brandon Veal. He told WSDU that Castillo, 59, was a contract worker at the airport and was arrested on theft charges.
Magazine PEOPLE has contacted the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office for confirmation.
Oglesby told the outlet that the dress and other items had been thrown in the trash, describing her discovery as a "stomach punch." She added: "I was really disappointed and kind of sad. Most things can be replaced, but the sentiment that they carried..."
Aelum shared the same sentiments, adding: "It's unfortunate, it's crazy that someone would do something like that."
In a statement to WSDU regarding the incident, an airport representative said: "Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport maintains a strong focus on passenger, employee and facility safety, and we expect all contractual partners to meet these standards."
"It only took them a short time, once we learned of the incident, to immediately review the camera footage, identify the suspect and share these details with the JPSO to support the investigation," he added.
PEOPLE has also reached out to Louis Armstrong International Airport for comment.
Luckily, Town & Country Bridal in New Orleans confirmed to PEOPLE that it has offered Oglesby a new wedding dress as a gift. An employee at the store said Oglesby visited on Friday, Dec. 5, to look at potential gowns.
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