DETROIT (WWJ) — Detroit police have found a statue honoring a local World War II veteran that was stolen from a park earlier this week and arrested two suspects.
"We have had, over the years, huge statues and carvings stolen. They've showed up on buildings in Chicago. Nobody ever did anything about it," Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a press conference on Friday. "They probably thought no one would do anything today, except, this is a different Detroit Police Department."
He said officers canvassed the neighborhoods, learned when the statue was stolen-- and turned to nearby Greenlight locations.
"They found a large rental truck at a very suspicious time leaving the area. They went to the rental truck company. The rental truck company had GPS service, told them exactly where it was," Duggan said. "They found out the person who rented it was wanted for other robberies...ran him down in real time, caught him, he turned over the statue, confessed and we made two arrests."
Detroit police officials on Thursday said a 600-lb. bronze statue honoring the late Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, who flew missions in WWII as a Tuskegee Airman with the Red Tails squadron, was stolen from Rouge Park.
Authorities believed it was taken from Detroit Aero Modelers Jefferson Field — also named after the WWII hero, as he loved flying model planes there as a kid — near Joy and Spinoza, sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
It was cut off at the feet, which was all that remained of the statue on the marble base on Friday morning.
WWJ’s Mike Campbell reported from the park Friday morning that Detroit police have now recovered the statue.
Campbell said it was found somewhere in Southwest Detroit and is now in the possession of DPD.
“I’m told, unfortunately, it has been damaged. It’s not cut up, but it was damaged and they’re still looking for who did this,” Campbell reported.
Jefferson who survived being a prisoner of war and returned home to become a beloved school teacher, according to a press release from the city.
The city installed the statue to honor the forgotten soldiers who helped win World War II. Jefferson and the Tuskegee Airmen “overcame segregation and prejudice to become one of the most highly respected fighter groups of World War II,” the city said in a press release. “They set the stage for civil rights advocates to continue the struggle to end racial discrimination during the Civil Rights Movement.”
Jefferson's granddaughter, Ernestine Lavergne, provided the following statement after learning of the theft:
"We are deeply saddened and disheartened by the theft of the statue of my grandfather from the park. This statue has stood not just as a piece of art, but as a symbol of our community’s history, values, and collective memory. To many, it represents a cherished reminder of our shared past and the lessons we carry forward. This act of theft goes beyond vandalism; it is a loss to everyone who found meaning, connection, and pride in that statue and the heroic actions of the Tuskegee Airmen. We ask that anyone with information come forward to help us restore this important symbol to its rightful place. Despite this unfortunate event, we remain united as a community. We will not allow this incident to diminish the pride we feel in our shared heritage.”
The statue was created by noted sculptor Austen Brantley, a self-taught figurative sculptor from Detroit whose work lives at the intersection of African and Greek cultures, according to a press release from the city. He has said his art is inspired by African and classical art, and he wants to continue the traditions of the Harlem Renaissance. He was chosen after an open call by a community panel of architects, artists and historians.
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