DENVER — One suspect has turned himself in and another is still wanted in connection with the vandalism of the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in City Park last month, the Denver Police Department said.
Police said Robert Duran, 47, turned himself in Thursday. Police said he "assisted with the damaging of one of the stolen metal pieces." He was arrested on a charge of criminal mischief.
Police have identified the second suspect in the theft as Herman Duran, 67. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Three pieces that were stolen from the monument in mid-February were recovered after they were sold as scrap metal, the Denver Police Department said last week.
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.
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. The investigation found the thefts from the monument happened between 3 and 6 a.m. Feb. 18.
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.
“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 Wednesday.
The monument's creator, artist Ed Dwight, said Wednesday that the pieces are "all reparable," but "there's a lot of work to do on them." He said it could take three months before the repaired pieces are back in place. It's unclear how much the repairs will cost.
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