PORTLAND, Maine — Two historic and hand-carved wooden eagle statues were stolen from Portland’s Custom House building last weekend, city police announced Thursday.
The eagles, each about three feet tall and two and a half feet wide, were painted gold and estimated to be worth $50,000 combined. According to a police announcement Thursday, “they are thought to be original to the building and date to around 1863.”
“The building is closed and undergoing extensive renovation,” the announcement continued, in part. “The eagles were stolen from the building’s Grand Lobby sometime between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21. There are no signs of forced entry.”
The Custom House is located at 312 Fore St. The Federal Protective Service is aiding the Portland Police Department in the investigation of the theft. Police are urging anyone with information about the theft or the whereabouts of the eagle statues to call 874-8533.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted by text message using the keyword “GOTCHA,” followed by the tip, to the number 274637 — CRIMES — or through the department website Portland-Police.com.
There isn’t a better picture without the bubble wrap somewhere?
Oldest trick in the book.
Steal something while renovations are underway.
Who had access to the area where these valuable objects
were securely stored ??
Secrely stored ??? Yea right.
Wow this thing screams inside job. Someone who knows the layout, times of people /workers coming and going ect. These Birds are big and didn’t just FLY away. Pull a Scooby snack and start looking for clues. I hope the dudes (yeah more than one person I’m sure) receive the bad karma they deserve and have one of the eagles fall to pinch a toe or get a hand full of slivers. Most important would be to get caught.
Be on the lookout antique dealers everywhere and do the right thing by reporting this thief! Save Maine’s history – as bad as stealing gravestones or weathervanes off barns.
Here’s to hoping that the thieves don’t ‘get scared’ and throw them in a swamp like the grave stone in Houlton!