DENVER — A second suspect has been arrested in connection with the vandalism of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in City Park in February, the Denver Police Department said.
Police said Herman Duran, 67, was arrested March 10. He is being held on theft and criminal mischief charges.
The first suspect, 47-year-old Robert Duran, turned himself in Feb. 29. He has since bonded out of jail, according to court records.
In February, three pieces were stolen from the monument and sold as scrap metal, police said. The pieces have since been recovered.
Denver Parks and Recreation maintenance staff noticed the pieces missing from the monument on Feb. 21 and reported the theft to police. Police Chief Ron Thomas said the police department sent out an alert to local scrap metal companies, and two days later, one of the scrap companies reported the stolen items had been turned in.
“We will continue that investigation to determine what their specific motive was, but it does seem at this time as though their motive was just to get money," Thomas said at a news conference Feb. 28.
The large plaque stolen from the “I Have a Dream” monument was cut into four pieces before it was sold to the company, police said.
Police said seven bronze pieces from the Joseph Addison Thatcher Memorial fountain in City Park were also stolen and sold. Investigators recovered those pieces and returned them to Denver Arts and Venues, which manages both monuments. Police believe the same suspects were responsible for both thefts.
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