![\"art.jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/art.jpg#.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nFor nearly a decade, Denver resident Vinny Del Giudice admired the sculpture that stood in the front yard of his Congress Park home. It wasn’t just decoration — it was personal. His daughter had welded the piece years earlier and gifted it to her parents. <\/p>\n
“It’s your daughter,” said Del Giudice, “and that was one of her first works. She’s become a very accomplished artist.” <\/p>\n
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Del Giudice Family<\/p>\n
The six-foot-long, 200-pound metal sculpture — something of a self-portrait — featured a whimsical figure stretched out on the lawn, feet raised, its face turned toward busy 12th Avenue. It was crafted from steel tubes and rolled flat steel strips.<\/p>\n
Over time, the piece became a neighborhood fixture, drawing curiosity and praise from passersby. <\/p>\n
“They were all quite impressed,” said Vinny. “It developed a following.” <\/p>\n
Then, on the morning of March 27, everything changed. <\/p>\n
As Del Giudice set out to walk his dog, a neighbor delivered the news: the sculpture was missing. <\/p>\n
“I came home and it was gone,” he said. <\/p>\n
![\"vinny-del-giudice.jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/vinny-del-giudice.jpg#.jpeg\")
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Vinny Del Giudice shows CBS Colorado’s Brian Maass the location where the theft took place.<\/p>\n
CBS<\/p>\n
Thieves had taken it, leaving behind only one of the statue’s steel “ribs.”<\/p>\n
“It was very upsetting, very sad,” he said. “The whole thing was kind of heartbreaking.” <\/p>\n
Heartbreaking — but not unusual. <\/p>\n
Theft of metal artwork on the rise<\/p>\n
Scrap metal theft<\/a> has been a fast-growing<\/a> property crime<\/a> in the United States for years, driven largely by rising prices for metals. As commodity values increase, so does the incentive to steal. <\/p>\n Todd Foreman, senior director of law enforcement outreach with the Recycled Materials Association, said copper and aluminum thefts are on the rise\u2014and artwork, especially bronze pieces, are increasingly targeted. <\/p>\n “People steal anything they think they can get value out of,” said Foreman. “If they are desperate enough or want that money enough.” <\/p>\n Recent cases in Denver highlight the trend. <\/p>\n In February 2024, thieves stole parts of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue in City Park, including bronze pieces later recovered at a scrapyard<\/a>. Two suspects were arrested. <\/p>\n Last month, two statues were taken from Holy Ghost Church in downtown Denver. They were eventually recovered — but had been cut up, apparently for scrap. One suspect has been arrested<\/a>. <\/p>\n “This is terrible for us,” Foreman said. “Artwork that is stolen is more than just metal, its a piece of history, art and culture that’s stolen from a community.” <\/p>\n Artist says “heist” has changed how she works<\/p>\n For Caroline Del Giudice, now a Detroit-based artist who creates and sells large-scale metal works, the loss is deeply personal. <\/p>\n “From the standpoint of an artist, I’m disappointed that somebody stole it,” she said. <\/p>\n Still, she tries to see it another way. <\/p>\n She said while she considers it an “art heist,” she is hoping somebody stole it “because they loved it.”<\/p>\n CBS Colorado’s Brian Maass interviews artist Caroline Del Giudice in a video call.<\/p>\n CBS<\/p>\n “So I’m just choosing to believe somebody took it because they liked it so much,” Del Giudice said.<\/p>\n The experience has changed how she works. She now makes sure her large pieces are securely anchored. <\/p>\n![\"caroline-del-giudice.jpg](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/caroline-del-giudice.jpg#.jpeg\")
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