In a theft that has neighbors shaking their heads, a life-size bronze sculpture known as "The Prize Catch" was sliced off at the feet and hauled out of Glenmere Park in Greeley on Tuesday afternoon, investigators say. The statue was cut from its base and taken in broad daylight, leaving behind only the mounting and a lot of stunned park regulars.
As reported by CBS Colorado, detectives believe the theft happened around 2:30 p.m. A white box truck was seen in the immediate area around that time and is believed to be connected to the crime. Investigators are asking anyone who was in or around Glenmere Park between about 2 and 3 p.m. to check home-security or dashcam footage and to call the Greeley Police nonemergency line at (970) 350-9605 with any tips.
Police ask neighbors and recyclers to keep an eye out
Officers have urged metal recyclers and scrap yards across Northern Colorado to be on alert for bronze material that looks like it was once part of a statue. North Forty News reports that police also want residents to flag anyone seen loading heavy equipment or a large object into a truck near the park around the time of the theft. Detectives are betting that small details from dashcams or suspicious transactions at local recyclers could be the thread that unravels the case and brings the sculpture back.
Small-town art, big loss
"The Prize Catch" has been part of the Glenmere Park landscape for years and is listed in the City of Greeley’s public-art documentation, a sign of how visible and well-known the piece was to visitors. According to the city’s public art master plan, the Kurt Jungblut bronze was installed near the park pier and included on local walking-tour routes, making its sudden absence glaringly obvious to anyone who frequents the area. For many residents, the missing sculpture feels like both a cultural gut punch and a straightforward criminal act.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Greeley Police nonemergency line at (970) 350-9605. Investigators say that even a brief dashcam clip, a partial license plate, or a tip about a scrap-yard sale could be the key to recovering the statue and tracking down whoever made off with Glenmere Park’s "Prize Catch."
