300-pound bronze frog statue stolen from San Dimas City Hall

A beloved bronze statue of a frog that weighs as much as 300 pounds has been stolen from an outdoor water feature at San Dimas City Hall, authorities said.

Officials first noticed early Wednesday that something seemed off about their “Catching Frogs” statue, which depicts two boys trying to catch a leaping frog, said Theresa Bruns, the city’s parks and recreation director.

The frog was gone.

Then the larger portion of the statue depicting the boys was taken the following night.

“Everybody is just devastated,” she said.

Authorities say someone had to use heavy equipment to move and steal the public art piece, which was donated to the city in 1998 and is valued at $25,000. The statue sits in the center of well-lighted City Hall plaza.

Authorities say the art piece may have been stolen to be sold for scrap metals.

The art piece, maintained by the San Dimas Festival of Arts, was sculpted by Vic Riesau, whose bronze pieces can also be seen at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage and the Camegie Art Museum.

The statue had become a part of the community, and city employees affectionately called it “our boys,” Bruns said.

But now, she said, the theft has “destroyed a sense of community and pride.”

Anyone with details is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station in San Dimas at (909) 450-2700.

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