Busts of President Ronald Reagan and former Secretary of State George Shultz were stolen from the Chapman campus last Aug. 6. Each one weighed about 30 pounds and cost $10,000.
A bronze dedication plaque at the Indio Public Library was stolen in November. Authorities say there has been an increase in statue and plaque thefts across the Coachella Valley.
Bronze plaques and artwork that decorate yards and honor community leaders have become targets for thieves trying to cash in on the rising value of metal.
Authorities say there has been an increase in statue and plaque thefts across the Coachella Valley as thieves diversify from scrap metal and copper to bronze and iron.
“We’ve never seen so many being stolen before,” Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said.
Five thefts of statues and plaques were reported in Indio between November and December. Three similar thefts occurred in Rancho Mirage earlier last year and there are reports of similar thefts scattered across the valley.
Thieves stole the heavy bronze dedication plaque from the wall outside the front door of the Indio Public Library, across a courtyard from City Hall.
The plaque had been there since the library opened in 1976, but now all that’s left is a huge, empty spot.
“You can tell something had been there before,” said Donna McCune, who manages the library.
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