It took two suspects less than 30 minutes to steal a monument deeply important to San Jose’s Vietnamese community, according to surveillance footage released by the San Jose Police Department on Wednesday.
San Jose Police officials released 17 minutes of security footage showing vandals brazenly breaking into the Vietnamese Heritage Garden last month and pulling down a 9-foot monument depicting a South Vietnamese soldier. In addition to the 1,500-pound statue, the suspects are also accused of taking a Vietnamese, California and United States flag.
A statue dedicated to the South Vietnamese and American soldiers who fought together in the Vietnam War is unveiled, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/ Bay Area News Group)
The stolen commercial truck used in the theft was also recovered, police said. Investigators confirmed it had been stolen June 18 from a business on Monterey Road, about three days before the statue theft. The suspects remain unidentified, their motives are unknown and detectives are seeking any information that could assist in the investigation.
The surveillance footage shows a lone suspect wandering the premises timestamped at 4:19 a.m. and opening a ground-level utility compartment in front of a lamppost. Minutes later, the stolen white truck enters the frame from a field to the north, and a suspect can be seen hunched over the toppled statue. Because the footage is dark and grainy, however, it remains unclear exactly what he was doing, what tools were used or how the monument was initially knocked down.
The San Jose Police Department Fraud Unit is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying two suspects responsible for the theft and vandalism of the “Thank You, America Monument.” (San Jose Police Department)
At the 4:24 a.m. mark, one suspect backs the truck up toward the monument while the other ties a rope around it. The video concludes with the pair using the vehicle to drag the 1,500-pound statue out toward the gate.
Following the theft, debris from brick and concrete alongside tire tracks could be seen in front of the monument, leading toward a fence on the north side of the garden.
Later that same afternoon, police recovered the bronze figure about a mile away, near the intersection of Coyote Creek Trail and the Five Wounds Trail — close to “The Jungle,” which was the city’s largest homeless encampment until it was cleared in April.
The monument, titled “Thank You America” by artist Tuan Nguyen, was unveiled in 2024. It depicts a South Vietnamese and American solder standing side by side during the Vietnam War.
The art installation is intended to honor the alliance between American and South Vietnamese soldiers, while remembering the millions of lives lost in the war and the contributions of the Vietnamese community in the United States, many of whom came to this country as refugees.
San Jose is home to the largest Vietnamese diaspora outside of Vietnam, with roughly 140,000 residents.
Councilmember Bien Doan, who represents District 7 – the heart of the city’s Vietnamese community – called on residents to help police with their investigation.
City officials and community members gather at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden to hear the latest updates and express outrage following the theft and vandalism of the “Thank You America” monument, which pays tribute to Vietnamese and American cooperation during the Vietnam War. (Photos by Ryan Macasero/Bay Area News Group)
“Like so many in our community, I am heartbroken over what has happened. This monument means so much to our Vietnamese community, and seeing it targeted in this way is deeply painful,” Doan said in an email. “If you recognize the suspects or have any information, no matter how small it may seem, please come forward and contact SJPD. Let’s put our differences aside, stand together, bring those responsible to justice, and restore our Vietnamese Heritage Garden.”
Since the vandalism incident, Doan said, conspiracy theories have been abundant in the community.
“There have been a lot of rumors circulating, including claims that this was an inside job, that cranes or heavy machinery were used, or that there were no cameras in the area,” said Doan. “Speculation only creates more confusion, causes unnecessary division, and takes attention away from finding the people who committed this crime.”
Doan said he would share details soon on restoration plans for the garden and “how our community can support this effort and make donations.”
The monument took nearly 10 years of planning before it was unveiled in 2024, costing nearly $500,000 to complete.
San Jose has faced similar challenges with public art thefts and vandalism in recent years.
In 2023, a 440-pound bronze statue of an Indian ruler was stolen from Guadalupe River Park, which served as a significant cultural monument for the city’s Indian community. A reporter formerly with this news organization found that artwork shortly after, sitting next to a soda machine in the lobby of a North San Jose metal scrapyard.
Doan noted that the “Thank You America” monument had been previously vandalized as recently as March.
Minh Thanh Tran, a real estate professional from San Jose, after viewing the video, noted how comfortable the suspects were at committing the act.
“It appears to be organized and planned, they probably studied the area to figure out where to get in,” Tran said Wednesday.
For Tran, the targeted theft cuts deep for a refugee community that has spent 51 years building a home in San Jose. He referred to the fall of Saigon – the 1975 collapse of South Vietnam to northern communist forces – which triggered a massive refugee crisis and drew hundreds of thousands of people to the United States.
“We engage with the past, and we use this monument to say ‘thank you’ to America,” he said.
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan encouraged the community to help authorities apprehend the suspects.
“The Vietnamese Heritage Garden honors the journey of so many families who helped shape San José, and attacks on our shared history will not be tolerated,” Mahan said. He said that “even the smallest tip can make a difference, and I encourage anyone with information to come forward.”
Police are calling on residents who recognize the suspects, witnessed the incident or have any related information to contact Detective Naquann Cobb at 4812@sanjoseca.gov or 408-277-4521.
They can also submit tips and remain anonymous by using the P3TIPS mobile app, calling 408-947-STOP or visiting the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers website. If a tip leads to an arrest, there may be a cash reward.