[MSN] Sheriff mistakenly dumps recovered La Selva Beach sculpture

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Sheriff mistakenly dumps recovered La Selva Beach sculpture 

By: Associated Press 

LA SELVA BEACH, Calif. -- Cops have solved the copper crane caper, but
there's a sad ending to the story.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office, which recovered Triangle Park's
stolen "origami crane" sculpture, mistakenly tossed it in the trash.

The sculpture, stolen in November, is now believed to be buried under tons
of trash at the Santa Cruz County dump.

 
"Somebody thought it was garbage," sheriff's Sgt. Fred Plageman said
Tuesday.

The crane was found by a deputy Saturday morning in a brown plastic trash
bag in the middle of Solano Avenue. The deputy took it, garbage bag and all,
to be booked into evidence but it wound up near bags of trash and was
inadvertently hauled away.

"It was human error on our part," Plageman said. "We are extremely
disappointed and apologetic."

Plageman said he went to the Buena Vista Landfill Tuesday morning but
couldn't find the sculpture. It was tough breaking the news to residents, he
said.

"It is an unbelievable thing to have happened," said 87-year-old Sylvia
Gerbl, who was among those who created the Peace Pyramid in 1995. The crane,
valued at $3,000, sat atop the pyramid.

"It was a careless mistake," Gerbl said. "I feel for the man who did it. It
must not be a good day for him."