The Aporia · Cops race to find stolen $50K bronze Jesus statue before it’s lost forever

Police in Santa Ana, California are investigating the theft of a $50,000 bronze Jesus statue from Christ Our Savior Catholic Church around 2 a.m. on August 30. Surveillance video shows two suspects cutting off and stealing the sculpture, which depicts Jesus praying. The police fear the thieves may melt down the religious artwork for its metal value. Previous damage to the property occurred in April when vandals damaged wooden fence panels to steal parts of the same statue.

Written by AI on 2026-09-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

On August 30, two thieves stole a $50,000 bronze Jesus statue from Christ Our Savior Catholic Church in Santa Ana, California. The suspects arrived around 2 a.m., cut off the statue at its ankles with an electric tool, and dragged it across church property toward nearby Segerstrom High School where they likely had a getaway vehicle. Police believe the men left behind only the feet of the statue. This theft follows another incident in April when parts of a different bronze statue were stolen after damaging the church's wooden fence panels. These events are part of a wider trend of bronze statue thefts occurring in Orange County. Concerns exist that the thieves might melt down the religious artwork for its raw metal value.

Written for “Stolen Bronze Jesus Statue” on 2026-11-03, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Stolen Bronze Jesus Statue

Crime & Law · 2 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

This article reads unscored and hedges 20% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Thieves steal $50K bronze Jesus statue from California church as they leave behind key feature Same event

New York Post

Hedges 4 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100

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Jasmine Fernández

85 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

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The August theft follows a prior incident on April 22, when suspects damaged wooden fence panels to break onto the church grounds and cut portions of the same bronze statue, causing thousands of dollars in property damage, as reported by News Santa Ana.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-18

🔮 Concerns are growing that the thieves may attempt to melt down the religious artwork to sell the raw metal.

2026-09-18 · The Independent

Cops race to find stolen $50K bronze Jesus statue before it’s lost forever · assertive framing

Police in Southern California are searching for two men who severed and stole a $50,000 bronze Jesus statue from a church campus, leaving only the feet behind on its stone base. asserted

who → search → base

Concerns are growing that the thieves may attempt to melt down the religious artwork to sell the raw metal. uncertain

thieves → grow → metal

Surveillance video captured two suspects wearing dark clothing arriving at Christ Our Savior Catholic Church in Santa Ana at roughly 2 a.m. on August 30. asserted

suspects → capture → August

The men brought a bag onto the property, extracted an electric cutting tool and sliced through the sculpture at its ankles, according to the Santa Ana Police Department. uncertain

men → bring → Department

“One of the suspects retrieves a cutting tool from the bag, and both suspects begin to cut the Jesus statue from its feet, dragging it through the property,” a Santa Ana police spokesperson told local outlet KTLA. asserted

spokesperson → retrieve → KTLA

After freeing the sculpture — which depicted Jesus with his hands clasped in prayer near John the Baptist — the suspects hauled it across the church grounds toward nearby Segerstrom High School. asserted

suspects → free → School

Authorities believe a getaway vehicle was waiting near the school, where the men loaded the piece inside and fled. asserted

men → believe → piece

Images published by the Santa Ana Police Department show the remnants of the display: two hollow bronze, barefoot feet still attached to the rock. asserted

Images → publish → rock

The department noted that the property had been targeted in past incidents. asserted

property → note → incidents

Images published by the Santa Ana Police Department show the remnants of the display: two hollow bronze, barefoot feet still attached to the rock. asserted

Images → publish → rock

suspects → follow → Ana

“Unfortunately, this church was targeted once again, but this time, two suspects successfully stole a $50,000 bronze statue of Jesus,” the department wrote in a Facebook post. asserted

department → target → post

Police released surveillance footage in hopes that the public could help identify the suspects. uncertain

public → release → suspects

Though one suspect kept his face covered, another was filmed wearing a distinct T-shirt that investigators hope someone will recognize. asserted

someone → keep → shirt

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective R. Wilson at 714-245-8551 or RashadWilson@santa-ana.org. asserted

Anyone → urge → 8551

Cops race to find stolen $50K bronze Jesus statue before it’s lost forever

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