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Stolen 'Rockport Strong' sign found

You can contact Mahlmann at 361-523-8036.

Rockport (KIII news) — UPDATE: The sign was found Friday morning, according to the boutique owners.

A shop owner in Rockport is searching Thursday for a homemade sign that was recently stolen and was meant to show the city's determination to recover from Hurricane Harvey.

The sign read Rockport Strong and was made on some driftwood and was displayed in the front of the store.

The sign was standing at Rowdy Maui, and after posting that the sign was stolen on social media, a couple came forward and said they saw a man taking down the sign and during broad daylight.

"It's heartbreaking that somebody would have the gall to get up there and take it, but I can't imagine that it would mean as much as it does to us and our community," Kacie Mahlmann said.

According to Mahlmann, the sign is just a piece of driftwood that ended up on their property after Harvey which her brother spray painted.

"And they posted outside just to say to us hey we're here, everything's okay we're taking care of it, we're gonna be alright," Mahlmann said

The people who saw the suspect taking down the sign thought he was doing repair work.

"They came by, pulled a picnic table to the side, brought his cordless drill and he got up there and realized he had the wrong drill bit, so he left went back and got the correct drill bit and took the sign," Mahlmann said.

The sentiment is what makes the sign valuable which is why Mahlmann is offering a monetary reward to whoever brings it back.

Nearby businesses added cash to the reward bumping it up to $325.

"We want to help any way we can, Bea Hullet said.

According to Hullet, the sign meant a lot to the community during a time of hardship.

"The sign went up after the storm, and it was just a little gleam of hope for everybody," Hullet said.

Both women want the sign back where it belongs, and Mahlmann is even willing to throw in something extra on top of the cash.

"A sign of their own that says Rockport Strong whatever colors they want no questions asked just bring it back," Hullet said.

You can contact Mahlmann at 361-523-8036.

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