San Jose police are asking for the public’s help in finding a “beloved” local statue that was carted away in broad daylight.
The bronze “Momotaro” statue was reported missing earlier this month, cut from its stand in San Jose’s Guadalupe River Park.
This week, officials released new details about the theft and now believe the statue was cut down and taken on Sept. 25 just after 7 a.m. New photos from the day of the theft show two people appearing to take away the statue in a shopping cart. Police said the people were last seen walking north through the park.
The statue was gifted to San Jose from Japanese sister city Okayama and depicts a popular Japanese folktale of a boy along with animal companions on a quest to to fight a band of ogres. The San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs called the artwork “an important and beloved part of our community.”…