PHOENIX — A 6-foot-tall St. Jude statue was stolen from a Laveen Village home early Monday morning.
The culprit left behind pliers they used to cut off the statue that sat in front of Maria Lopez’s home near 51st Avenue and Dobbins Road, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said.
“It was very important for me and my husband,” Lopez told 12News Tuesday.
The statue, valued at $1,500, was a Father’s Day gift she gave to her husband last year, brought from his hometown, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico—a 15-hour drive to Phoenix.
A family friend built a granite stand for the statue, and Lopez placed it next to flowers, plants, and a memorial that honors Lopez’s late son.
“We love St. Jude and it's not just special for us, but for our family and community,” Lopez said. “I couldn’t believe it was gone.”
On Monday, at around 6 a.m. Lopez got a call from a neighbor, asking her if they had sold the St. Jude statue because they drove past the home and did not see it. She walked outside and realized it was gone.
Next to where the statue was located, Lopez found some pliers lying on the floor. MSCO said she collected the pliers with a plastic bag, not physically touching them, and handed them to them. They will process them for possible prints.
Lopez’s surveillance video captured a dark-colored pickup truck driving through her home just after midnight. Although the frame freezes, Lopez said the truck parked at her neighbor’s home, and a passenger got off and stole the statue.
Given the value of the statute, the theft is considered a felony, MCSO's police report on the case read.
A trail of coins, meant as offerings for the St. Jude statue, was left behind by the suspect, leading from the stand, through the driveway, onto the road next to Lopez’s neighbor’s home.
“When I found out, I was devastated,” said Daisy Montoya, Lopez’s niece. “They don’t know the meaning behind this statue to the community and to us. They just took it away. Took away something so valuable that to them it doesn’t mean anything.”
Lopez’s St Jude is wearing a green and yellow cloth with gold embroidery designs. The statue has a crack on the base on its right side.
“We plead with the community. If you guys see it, please return it, please give us a call, call the cops,” Montoya said.
The family is now offering a $300 cash reward for its return, no questions asked.
“It’s so sad to see my area empty, and I hope we found it,” Lopez said. "We just want it back."
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: 'La queremos de vuelta': Figura de San Judas Tadeo fue robada de una casa en el valle
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