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Statue that graced racetrack entrance stolen
Thieves have made off with a bronze statue from the former Garden State Park racetrack site in Cherry Hill, police said.
The statue, an eight-foot-tall representation of an American Indian riding a horse, was reported missing on Monday, but it is not known when it disappeared. It is estimated to be worth $500,000, police said.
Police believe a backhoe found near the statue's base may have been used to knock it off its pedestal, said Detective Sgt. Joseph Vitarelli of the Cherry Hill Police Department. The thieves hoisted the statue, which probably weighed between 1,000 and 2,000 pounds, into a vehicle and drove away, Vitarelli said.
Police are considering whether the statue was swiped for the resale value of the bronze, as scrap metal theft is a growing problem. The statue is one of two that flanked the entrance to the racetrack. They were moved to the far west corner of the property after the racetrack was closed in 2001, and the owner of the land was said to have been planning to use them in the area's next development project. - Allison Steele
