Statue reunited with Army veteran after it was stolen from his home

COON RAPIDS, Minn. (FOX 9) - A statue stolen from an Army veteran is now back in the right hands after tips led investigators to the suspect, according to Coon Rapids police.

Police shared a Facebook post asking for people to be on the lookout for the 7-foot tall sculpture of an eagle, valued at $1,300. Officials said that around 4 a.m. March 28, the statue was stolen from the man's front door on the 100 block of 121st Avenue Northwest. Shots from a surveillance camera captured the suspect in the act.

"What makes this case so unique: the owner of the sculpture is an Army Vet with a strong emotional attachment to the item. It represents his time of service to our country, and the statue was a gift from his children," officials wrote.

The tips came pouring in and by Wednesday evening, investigators had tracked down their suspect. Police were able to connect this recent theft to other sculpture thefts in the area. After executing a search warrant, officers recovered the statue and returned the sculptures to their owners.

A video posted on Facebook showed Detective Freiberg calling the victim and later reuniting the artwork with the owner.

The suspect is in custody at Anoka County Jail.