Bronze Jesus Statue Stolen from Santa Ana Church Amid Rising Metal Thefts in Southern California
A bronze statue of Jesus was stolen from Christ Our Savior Catholic Parish in Santa Ana last month, marking the latest incident in a surge of metal thefts across Southern California. According to police, two men cut through a fence and used an electric saw to remove the statue at the ankles, leaving only the feet and stone base. The $50,000 artwork depicted Saint John the Baptist placing holy water on Jesus. This theft follows similar incidents, including the removal of a bronze marker from a lifeguard memorial in Huntington Beach last September, and the theft of bronze plaques honoring military branches from Veterans Sports Park in Tustin in January. The 6th Street Bridge in Los Angeles has also been affected, with thieves stealing miles of copper wire, causing prolonged darkness. Authorities attribute this rise in thefts to the increasing value of copper, a primary component of bronze.
