[MSN] BREA - A third Art in Public Places piece has been ripped from its post in a local industrial complex, Brea Police said Wednesday.

[Museum Security Network Mailing list]

Bronze statue stolen in Brea - again
Art in Public Places piece missing, the third in a year.
By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER
The Orange County Register

BREA - A third Art in Public Places piece has been ripped from its post in a
local industrial complex, Brea Police said Wednesday.

Police believe the sculpture, "Faceless Crowd", was taken between 2 p.m.
Monday and 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sgt. Peter Rodriguez said. The thieves may have
used a cutting torch to rip the statue from its stand, he added.

The statue has held a place in the 800 block of Columbia Street since 1989.
It was about 6-feet tall and 4-feet wide, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said the weight of this particular sculpture is unknown, however,
bronze statues can weight anywhere from 500 to 1,500 pounds.

This is the third bronze public art piece taken from city streets since
April. Each was worth an estimated $20,000.

"Spirit of Life", depicting a mother and child dancing, was stolen from the
corner of Birch Street and Poplar Avenue. "Dove of Love, Peace and Hope" was
taken from its home in front of a development in the 1700 block of Lambert
Road.

Rodriguez said the burglary of public art is an epidemic plaguing various
cities. The suspects generally melt the art down and sell it to local scrap
yards, he said.

Brea police have alerted local scrap metal facilities about the statue and
police continue to investigate the incident.

Art in Public Places started in 1975 in Brea as a way to combine private
development with public art. Developers are required to earmark 1 percent of
the total cost of their project to an outdoor art piece.

There are now 141 pieces lining city streets.

If anyone has any information about the stolen art, contact the Brea Police
at 714-990-7624.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3730 or jfletcher at ocregister.com