A brazen daylight robbery shook the California Home & Garden store in Campbell when two thieves made off with a six-foot tall, metallic rooster sculpture. In the aftermath, the Campbell Police Department, with a little help from the community and the San Jose Police Department, managed to recover the stolen goods, as was reported on their official Facebook page. The unique, hefty piece, weighing 85 to 95 pounds, was spotted at Roosevelt Park in San Jose and successfully returned, though the perpetrators remain unidentified as the investigation continues.
The store's owner, Nasser Kherella, expressed his astonishment to ABC7 News, saying, "I was in shock and disbelief because this has been here," indicating the fixture's long-standing presence outside his business, a routine every morning for nine and a half years where he wheeled out the rooster and back at closing—the rooster's absence now marks a palpable void for the community and Kherella himself. Embedded surveillance footage revealed a man interacting with the rooster before it was swept away, and although Kherella's humor surfaced in wondering about the logistical feat of stuffing the sculpture into a small Civic, there is an air of determined resolve in his vowing, "We got the license plate. We're gonna get you, buddy".
The metallic rooster has ascended beyond its physicality, becoming a symbol of joy, particularly to children, and a part of the local tapestry akin to a mascot, a point of civic pride. The theft not only deprived the owner of a sentimental asset but also stripped the community of a landmark—a piece of their collective experience that stretches beyond the tangible. Kherella, speaking to this sentiment, told ABC7 News, "It's not about the materialistic value of it. It's more a sentimental value. It makes people happy and that makes me happy too".
Kherella's encounter with theft came when local authorities were bolstering efforts to combat such crimes, as mentioned by Ken Johnson, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, who elaborated on Campbell Police’s recent initiative. The meeting held with business owners introduced advanced strategies, including the “real time program”, per ABC7 News, which allows retailers to connect their surveillance with police, hence facilitating quicker response times.
