[MSN] The big bronze artwork, stolen from its perch in Carthay Circle sometime last week, is found in a scrapyard, cut into two pieces. Two men have been arrested in the case and are suspects in other theft

[MSN]

Howdy, pardner! Missing miner statue recovered
Carthay Circle has changed since the statue of the miner was put in place.
This undated photo from Times archives also shows the Carthay Circle
Theatre, torn down in 1969.
The big bronze artwork, stolen from its perch in Carthay Circle sometime
last week, is found in a scrapyard, cut into two pieces. Two men have been
arrested in the case and are suspects in other theft
By Andrew Blankstein, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
1:25 PM PST, February 15, 2008

A 7-foot bronze statue stolen last week from its longtime home in the
Carthay Circle community of Los Angeles has been recovered, authorities said
today. The sculpture of a gold miner, valued at $125,000, was found cut in
two at a local scrapyard, where it had been purchased for $900, according to
Los Angeles police.

Two men were arrested Thursday in connection with the statue's theft and are
also suspects in a string of thefts of bronze statues and sculptures in the
Wilshire Area and the city of Beverly Hills, authorities said.

Sebastian Espana, 22, and Jessie Hernandez, 23, both of Los Angeles, are
likely to face grand theft charges in connection with art stolen Jan. 29 to
Feb. 12, said Det. Stephanie Lazarus of the LAPD Art Theft Detail.

The bronze miner, which weighed 512 pounds, was taken from atop a boulder in
Carthay Circle Park sometime last week. Residents of the area feared the
statue had been stolen for scrap, like so much copper wire and plumbing
around the region, as prices for metal have soared.

The theft of the large and heavy sculpture seemed bold. The miner stood in
plain view at the busy intersection of San Vicente and Crescent Heights
boulevards, secured to the boulder. It was sculpted by Henry Lion in 1924
and 1925, along with a fountain, and commemorated 19th century settlers in
California.

Police said the suspects also took a bronze bust worth $35,000 on Jan. 29
from in front of Wilshire Boulevard business.

This month, the suspects allegedly took a bronze statue worth $30,000 from
outside a business in Beverly Hills, one of several thefts in that city that
police allege the two men committed. They also are suspected of taking a
bronze mailbox valued at $4,000 from a home Feb. 4.

Earlier this week, police alleged, the two men took a pair of bronze
giraffes and a bronze sculpture of children on a swing from a home on
Rexford Drive. Police said the giraffes were recovered but were missing
their tails. They did not immediately have an estimated value of the works.

A break in the case came Feb. 4 when the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division
detectives discovered the miner statue at a local scrapyard. It had been cut
in two at the knees.

Police placed a hold on the statue and launched an investigation, Lazarus
said, eventually tracking down the suspects. Police then set up surveillance
of the men.

Espana and Hernandez were arrested about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, according to
jail records. Lazarus said they were booked on suspicion of grand theft.
Espana's bail was set at $210,000 and Hernandez's at $230,000.

Los Angeles Police Department detectives are working in conjunction with the
Beverly Hills Police Department on the case. Items valued at over $130,000
have been recovered to date. Still missing, they said, is the bronze bust
and another sculpture.

Authorities said they planned to present the case against Espana and
Hernandez to prosecutors next week.

Nationwide, bronze, brass and copper artworks are vanishing into scrapyards,
destined for the foundry furnace.

Late last month in Brea, thieves used a cutting torch to remove a
6-foot-tall, 4-foot-wide bronze sculpture from its concrete stand in front
of a business, one of three public statues stolen in the last nine months.

Authorities across the country say the high price of metals has prompted the
thefts. Thieves, they said, end up with pennies on the dollar for often
irreplaceable works of art.

andrew.blankstein at latimes.com

Times staff writer Joe Mozingo contributed to this report.