Stolen F. Scott Fitzgerald statue destroyed, suspect arrested after scrap yard calls police

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - St. Paul police arrested a man they believe stole a bronze statue of the famous author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, after a scrap yard reported the suspect tried selling parts of the statue, which was cut into pieces.

READ MORE: F. Scott Fitzgerald statue stolen from his former St. Paul school

Stolen statue criminal charges 

Big picture view:

Dustan Charles Schmitt, 37, of St. Paul, is charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property, police said. 

The statue of the author went missing from the Academy Professional Building at 25 Dale St. N sometime between Feb. 3 and Feb. 7. 

The statue depicted a young F. Scott Fitzgerald, who attended the school as a boy – not to be confused with the statue of an older Fitzgerald that stands in Rice Park.

Investigators say they were contacted on Feb. 11 by a Northern Metal Recycling employee who said Schmitt tried to sell the statue, which was cut into pieces. That employee also reportedly held onto some of the pieces before Schmitt fled.

Police say they met with Northern Metal Recycling management to recover parts of the statue and a metal plaque and bird, which Unity Church in St. Paul reported missing on Jan. 26. 

A SWAT team then executed a search warrant at a home on Mclean Avenue in St. Paul on Thursday, Feb. 13, where Schmitt was arrested. 

Officers say they also found a propane tank, blow torch and torch heads. 

Pieces of the statue are still missing, police said. 

Anyone with information on where the rest of the statue pieces are should call 651-291-1111 to speak with investigators. 

The cost to replace the statue is estimated to be between $35,000 and $40,000, according to Ed Conley, the owner of the building where the statue once was. 

The St. Paul Police Department shared photos of the destroyed statue, which can be viewed below:

What they're saying:

St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry released the following written statement on the arrest:

"We want to thank Northern Metal Recycling for their vigilance and commitment to upholding the new state law which requires anyone looking to sell scrap metal copper worth more than $25 to first obtain a license. I also want to commend the Northern Metal Recycling employee whose intuition helped us recover what’s left of this sentimental piece of Saint Paul history, while also likely preventing additional metal thefts from happening in our community."

F. Scott Fitzgerald in St. Paul

The backstory:

Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul in 1896, grew up in the city, and attended St. Paul Academy.

He wrote his first novel "This Side of Paradise" at his parent's home in St. Paul. The novel is partially set in Minneapolis.

The statue of Fitzgerald was placed in front of the former St. Paul Academy building, which is now an office building, back in September 2006.

The statue was created by artist Arron Dysart. Police say it is also partially made of copper.