On Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, police were notified by the City of Edmonton that the bronze statue had been removed from Emily Murphy park as of Monday, Feb. 24. It was also reported to police that the stand-alone plaque positioned next to the statue was noted missing by City staff the week prior, on Wednesday, Feb. 19. Both the statue and plaque were last seen together and intact on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025.
Additionally, between Feb. 26 and March 9, 2025, police received seven reports of decorative address plates that had been stolen from residences in west Edmonton. In total, the estimated value of the stolen statue and address plates was over $250,000.
On March 13, 2025, police executed a search warrant on a residence in southeast Edmonton believed to be linked to the thefts. Following the search warrant and further investigation, police recovered portions of the statue and signs at an Edmonton metal recycler.
On April 2, 2025, investigators arrested and charged Manuel Antonio Saavedra, 43, with possession of stolen property for the purpose of trafficking over $5,000 (x2) and proceeds of crime (x2).