#USA #CA – Thieves cut down and hauled away a $50,000 bronze statue of Jesus from a Catholic church in Santa Ana in the early morning hours of Aug. 30, leaving only the figure’s feet behind on its stone base.
Santa Ana police said two men wearing dark clothing entered the grounds of Christ Our Savior Catholic Parish at 2000 W. Alton Ave. around 2 a.m. that Sunday. They carried a bag. One of them pulled out an electric cutting tool, and the pair used it to sever the statue at the ankles. The sculpture depicted Christ in prayer alongside Saint John the Baptist.
The men dragged the statue across the church property toward neighboring Segerstrom High School where investigators believed a getaway vehicle waited. They loaded the piece into the vehicle and drove away. Surveillance video recorded the theft. Photos released later showed two hollow bronze, barefoot feet still attached to the rock.
Police made the incident public in mid-September and asked for the public’s help identifying the suspects. One man appeared to have his face covered; the other wore a T-shirt, which investigators hoped somebody would recognize. Authorities expressed concern that the thieves might melt the bronze for scrap metal.
The church had been targeted before. In April, suspects damaged wooden fence panels to reach the property and used a cutting tool to remove portions of a bronze statue, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Santa Ana Police Detective R. Wilson at (714) 245-8551 or RashadWilson@santa-ana.org. No arrests or suspects have been identified as of this article.
Cover Image: The bronze statue on the left with the remaining ankles on the right.
