On Tuesday, the Phoenix Police Department arrested a man who allegedly stole the statue of a 7-year-old boy from outside the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s headquarters.
The statue is of the boy who inspired the creation of the organization, Christopher James Greicius.
The man accused of stealing it, Troy Burke, 32, was arrested on charges of theft, trafficking of stolen property, and drugs, jail records show, AZFamily reported.
On Jan. 3, the statue went missing after a car drove up, and two people got out and ripped it from the ground outside the foundation.
Greicius’s mother, Linda Pauling, spoke with Fox 10 about the theft shortly after the statue went missing, sharing what it means to her and urging the public to come forward with information.
“For me, it's every child that needs a wish. It’s hope, strength, and joy. Hope that they are going to get their wish, strength when they get it, and joy from memories years to come,” Pauling told Fox 10
After police arrested Burke, the statue was recovered, but images from the Phoenix police show that it had been sawed into smaller pieces.
Burke allegedly took pieces of the statue to two scrapyards, where he was paid $180, court documents show, AZCentral reported. However, the statue is worth $25,000.
Since the arrest, Burke has admitted his role in stealing and attempting to sell the statue, police shared. However, the authorities are still attempting to identify the second suspect seen helping Burke.
Make-A-Wish America’s CEO, Leslie Motter, spoke with Fox News about the theft, thanking local police for their work in recovering it.
“Chris’ statue is a daily reminder that there’s no limit to the impact that a wish can have, and I’m so relieved for our staff, supporters, and co-founders — especially Chris’ mom, Linda — that the statue was found,” Motter told Fox News.
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