A beloved statue stolen from a Campbell church was recovered Thursday, discovered wrapped up and tucked away in a parking lot.
Police Sgt. Gary Berg said the statue of Saint Bernadette - taken Friday - has now been safely returned to the campus of St. Mary Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church.
Police received a tip Thursday just before noon that the statue had been spotted near Hamilton Avenue and Third Street. Officers found the statue in a parking lot near there, and for some reason, the four-foot tall piece had been wrapped up.
The stolen statue received much publicity, first reported in the Mercury News, and then on NBC Bay Area, as many members of the church were simply stunned as to who would have ripped off a statue of their beloved Saint Bernadette.
"I'm not sure why somebody would do something like this," St. Mary Assyrian Chaldean Catholic Church parish council president Gilbert Sangari said on Wednesday. The statue, donated by an active parish family, and had been bolted down near the entrance since 1997.
Berg said he wanted to thank the community and the media for putting the word out about the statue, adding: "Had it not been for the support, the statue may have never been returned."
Follow NBC BAY AREA for the latest news, weather, and events: iPad App | iPhone App | Android App | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | RSS | Text Alerts | Email Alerts
