"SAN JOSE The search is on for a bronze statue that was cut down and stolen last week in San Jose. Employees with the San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services reported the theft of the Momotaro statue on Oct. 15, according to the San Jose Police Department. Located near the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, the statue was a gift from Okayama, San Jose's sister city in Japan,"
"A detective has been assigned to the case, a police spokesperson said, adding the investigation is active and ongoing. At this time, we do not have any additional updates to provide, the spokesperson said. This is not the first time public art has been pilfered in San Jose. In 2023, a statue of a warrior riding a horse that symbolizes the sister city relationship between San Jose and Pune, India, was swiped from Guadalupe River Park."
"And in 2024, a 600-pound-plus sculpture worth $100,000 was plucked from the parking lot of an art studio near San Jose Mineta International Airport. A suspect was arrested, but not before the artwork was chopped up and sold to a different metal scrap yard. Anyone with information about the recent theft or the statue's whereabouts can call the police department's non-emergency line at 408-277-8900 and reference case no. 25-288-0623. Check back for updates."
San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services employees reported the theft of the Momotaro bronze statue on Oct. 15 near the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. The statue was a gift from Okayama, San Jose's sister city in Japan, and depicted a figure flanked by a dog and a monkey. A detective has been assigned and the police investigation is active and ongoing. Previous public art thefts occurred in 2023 and 2024, including a Pune warrior-on-horse statue recovered at a scrap yard and a 600-pound sculpture chopped up and sold. Police request tips at 408-277-8900, case no. 25-288-0623.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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