KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The officers responsible for locating a stolen statue have been thanked for recovering it.
Kansas City councilwoman Heather Hall tweeted that she visited Kansas City’s Shoal Creek police station. She said she thanked the department’s property crimes unit and the impact squad for returning the 400-pound bronze statue.
The officers followed tips from scrap dealers and located the statue of the 7-foot sculpture of a Native American Osage woman. It was stolen from the Francois Chouteau & Native American Heritage Fountain in early August.
The statue had already been cut into pieces by the time officers found it, but KC Parks said they were able to recover all but a few small sections.
Prosecutors charged 56-year-old Charles Fuentes with receiving stolen property. Investigators said scrap dealers identified him as the person who tried to sell pieces of the statue.
KC Parks said it will take thousands of dollars to repair the statue. There is a fund set up in hopes of raising that money.
The Chouteau Fountain Founders said enhanced security measures have been added to the fountain to protect the other sculptures there. They hopes it will be enough to stop thieves and vandals from targeting the area in the future.
