SAN JOSE \u2013 The search is on for a bronze statue that was cut down and stolen last week in San Jose.<\/p>\n
Employees with the San Jose Department of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services reported the theft of the Momotaro statue on Oct. 15, according to the San Jose Police Department.<\/p>\n
Located near the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, the statue was a gift from Okayama, San Jose\u2019s sister city in Japan, and is a \u201cbeloved part of our community,\u201d the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs said in a social media post Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Pictures of the statue<\/a> show a figure flanked by a dog and a monkey.<\/p>\n A detective has been assigned to the case, a police spokesperson said, adding \u201cthe investigation is active and ongoing.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt this time, we do not have any additional updates to provide,\u201d the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n This is not the first time public art has been pilfered in San Jose. In 2023, a statue of a warrior riding a horse that symbolizes the sister city relationship between San Jose and Pune, India, was swiped<\/a> from Guadalupe River Park. The piece was later discovered \u2013 mostly intact \u2013 by this news organization at a metal scrap yard north of downtown.<\/p>\n