Crime & Safety
Stolen $8,000 Deer Sculpture Rescued From Santa Cruz Co. Kelp Beds
Luckily, this piece of art called "Uncle Buck" was buoyant and survived the dramatic kelp rescue. Watch.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — A beloved (and extremely valuable) deer sculpture stolen in Santa Cruz County was spotted floating in the ocean near Natural Bridges earlier this month. The unique piece of art aptly named “Uncle Buck” was valued at about $8,000 at the time of the theft.
Video posted by the Scotts Valley Police Department shows the Santa Cruz Harbor Patrol and California State Parks as they teamed up to rescue the animal sculpture caught in the kelp beds.
Owner by Bernie Jestrabek-Hart, who was happy to get her sculpture back, reported the theft to the Scotts Valley Police Department after it was stolen sometime during the overnight hours on Aug. 6. The chains that secured the life-sized sculpture of the Black-Tailed Buck had been cut. The sculpture was part of the Scotts Valley Art Walk display, which features art from local artists. A tip lead investigators to the sculpture.
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Photos courtesy Scotts Valley Police Department Facebook page
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