Miner Statue Found!
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Susan Nickerson
Feb 15, 2008, 2:47:31 PM2/15/08
to Carthay Coaltion
Thought you all would want to know. I've known for a couple of days,
but was sworn to secrecy so they could set up the trap to catch the
guys.
For once there is a semi-happy ending! (He is, after all, cut in
half)
Susan
The big bronze artwork, stolen from its perch in Carthay Circle
sometime last week, is found in a scrapyard, cut into two pieces. Two
men have been arrested in the case and are suspects in other thefts.
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
A 7-foot bronze statue stolen last week from its longtime home in the
Carthay Circle community of Los Angeles has been recovered,
authorities said today. The sculpture of a gold miner, valued at
$125,000, was found cut in two at a local scrapyard where it had been
sold for $900, according to Los Angeles police.
Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with the statue's theft
and are also suspects in a string of thefts of bronze statues and
sculptures in the Wilshire Area and in city of Beverly Hills,
authorities said.
Sebastian Espana, 22, and Jessie Hernandez, 23, both of Los Angeles,
likely face grand-theft charges in connection with art that was stolen
between Jan. 29 and Feb. 12, said Det. Stephanie Lazarus of the LAPD
Art Theft Detail.
The bronze miner, which weighed 512 pounds, was taken from its
longtime home atop a boulder in Carthay Circle Park sometime last
week. Residents of Carthay Circle had feared the statue had been
stolen for scrap, like so much copper wire and plumbing around the
region, as prices for metal have soared.
The theft of the large and heavy sculpture seemed bold. The miner
stood in plain view at the busy intersection of San Vicente and
Crescent Heights boulevards, secured to the top of a boulder. It was
sculpted by Henry Lion in 1924 and 1925, along with a fountain, and
commemorated 19th century settlers in California.
Police said the suspects also took a bronze bust worth $35,000 on
January 29 from in front of Wilshire Boulevard business.
This month, the suspects allegedly took a bronze statue worth $30,000
from outside a business in Beverly Hills are also suspected of taking
a bronze mailbox, valued at $4,000, from a Beverly Hills home. Also
taken at the RExford Drive location were two bronze giraffes and a
bronze sculpture of children of on a swing. Police said the giraffes
are missing their tails. They did not immediately have an estimated
value of the works.
A break in the case came Feb. 4 when LAPD Commercial Crimes Division
detectives discovered the bronze gold miner statue at a local
scrapyard. It had been cut in two at the knees.
Police placed a hold on the statue and launched an investigation,
Lazarus said, eventually tracking down the suspects who sold the miner
statue to the yard and then set up surveillance on the men.
Espana and Hernandez were booked for grand theft at Jail Division.
Espana's bail was set at $210,000 and Hernandez's bail was set at
$230,000.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives are working in conjunction
with Beverly Hills Police Department detectives on this case. Items
valued at over $130,000 have been recovered to date. Still missing,
they said, is a bronze bust valued at $35,000 and one other sculpture.
Authorities said they plan to present the case against Espana and
Hernandez to prosecutors next week.
Nationwide, bronze, brass and copper artworks are vanishing into
scrapyards, destined for the foundry furnace.
Late last month in Brea, thieves used a cutting torch to remove a 6-
foot-tall, 4-foot-wide bronze sculpture from its concrete stand in
front of a business, one of three public statues stolen in the past
nine month,
Authorities across the country say the high price of metals has driven
the thefts, turning sculpture into scrap and returning only pennies on
the dollar for thieves.
but was sworn to secrecy so they could set up the trap to catch the
guys.
For once there is a semi-happy ending! (He is, after all, cut in
half)
Susan
The big bronze artwork, stolen from its perch in Carthay Circle
sometime last week, is found in a scrapyard, cut into two pieces. Two
men have been arrested in the case and are suspects in other thefts.
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
A 7-foot bronze statue stolen last week from its longtime home in the
Carthay Circle community of Los Angeles has been recovered,
authorities said today. The sculpture of a gold miner, valued at
$125,000, was found cut in two at a local scrapyard where it had been
sold for $900, according to Los Angeles police.
Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with the statue's theft
and are also suspects in a string of thefts of bronze statues and
sculptures in the Wilshire Area and in city of Beverly Hills,
authorities said.
Sebastian Espana, 22, and Jessie Hernandez, 23, both of Los Angeles,
likely face grand-theft charges in connection with art that was stolen
between Jan. 29 and Feb. 12, said Det. Stephanie Lazarus of the LAPD
Art Theft Detail.
The bronze miner, which weighed 512 pounds, was taken from its
longtime home atop a boulder in Carthay Circle Park sometime last
week. Residents of Carthay Circle had feared the statue had been
stolen for scrap, like so much copper wire and plumbing around the
region, as prices for metal have soared.
The theft of the large and heavy sculpture seemed bold. The miner
stood in plain view at the busy intersection of San Vicente and
Crescent Heights boulevards, secured to the top of a boulder. It was
sculpted by Henry Lion in 1924 and 1925, along with a fountain, and
commemorated 19th century settlers in California.
Police said the suspects also took a bronze bust worth $35,000 on
January 29 from in front of Wilshire Boulevard business.
This month, the suspects allegedly took a bronze statue worth $30,000
from outside a business in Beverly Hills are also suspected of taking
a bronze mailbox, valued at $4,000, from a Beverly Hills home. Also
taken at the RExford Drive location were two bronze giraffes and a
bronze sculpture of children of on a swing. Police said the giraffes
are missing their tails. They did not immediately have an estimated
value of the works.
A break in the case came Feb. 4 when LAPD Commercial Crimes Division
detectives discovered the bronze gold miner statue at a local
scrapyard. It had been cut in two at the knees.
Police placed a hold on the statue and launched an investigation,
Lazarus said, eventually tracking down the suspects who sold the miner
statue to the yard and then set up surveillance on the men.
Espana and Hernandez were booked for grand theft at Jail Division.
Espana's bail was set at $210,000 and Hernandez's bail was set at
$230,000.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives are working in conjunction
with Beverly Hills Police Department detectives on this case. Items
valued at over $130,000 have been recovered to date. Still missing,
they said, is a bronze bust valued at $35,000 and one other sculpture.
Authorities said they plan to present the case against Espana and
Hernandez to prosecutors next week.
Nationwide, bronze, brass and copper artworks are vanishing into
scrapyards, destined for the foundry furnace.
Late last month in Brea, thieves used a cutting torch to remove a 6-
foot-tall, 4-foot-wide bronze sculpture from its concrete stand in
front of a business, one of three public statues stolen in the past
nine month,
Authorities across the country say the high price of metals has driven
the thefts, turning sculpture into scrap and returning only pennies on
the dollar for thieves.
starks...@earthlink.net
Feb 22, 2008, 5:47:04 AM2/22/08
to Carthay Coaltion
PICTURE of the found miner statue,... cut off mid thigh..
And an updated article from the L.A. Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-statue16feb16,1,6700777.story
pamela
On Feb 15, 11:47 am, Susan Nickerson <su...@nickersonresearch.com>
wrote:
And an updated article from the L.A. Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-statue16feb16,1,6700777.story
pamela
On Feb 15, 11:47 am, Susan Nickerson <su...@nickersonresearch.com>
wrote:
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