Statue missing from perch in Apache Junction found
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. (AP) - A 9-foot tall statue of a gold miner stolen from outside an Apache Junction restaurant has been recovered.
Pinal County Sheriff's officials said Friday that an Apache Junction resident reported finding the 150-pound statue of "Picky Pete" lying in a ditch. It's now been returned to the Mining Camp Restaurant east of Phoenix.
The statue was attached to a concrete and rock base and was stolen sometime Monday night or early Tuesday. Authorities say there's a small amount of damage to the feet and head of the statue, which is worth an estimated $1,500.
No word yet on any suspects.
The restaurant has long been a fixture in Apache Junction and is located at the foot of the Superstition Mountains known for the myth of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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