Officials in Paramount say they got some very good news just in time for Memorial Day regarding the pieces of a statue honoring veterans that had been vandalized a few days ago.
It happened sometime last week. The statue called "Battlefield Cross and Soldier," honoring fallen veterans at the Paramount Armed Forces Memorial at the Civic Center, had portions sawed off and stolen.
During Monday's Memorial Day event, Mayor Peggy Lemons told the crowd, "The L.A. County Sheriff's Department shared some good news with us. After some careful detective work, they have located the stolen piece."
The damage was estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars and was expected to be a prolonged repair process but Mayor Lemons told KNX News' Jon Baird that because the hat and rifle have been recovered, "It should be able to be replaced much sooner than we had expected because it doesn't all have to be re-crafted."
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
She said it is unclear if a suspect has been taken into custody, and details are still limited as the investigation is still ongoing. However, they plan to consult with an artist to have the statue made as soon as possible.
Paramount has held its Memorial Day remembrance service since 2016, during which they have active military members read off the names of individuals who have died in combat dating back to the events of 9/11.
"Over 7,000 that have died," Lemons said. "They begin with the reading as the sun rises, and then we have another shift of soldiers and first responders and veterans that will come.
She said reading all the names typically takes until about 1 PM.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok