Crime & Safety
'Beloved' Stolen Venice Statue Found In Sarasota Waters: Police
Two Bradenton men face charges after stealing a statue, "Sophia," from Venice last month and throwing it in Sarasota waters, police said.
VENICE, FL — Two men face charges in the theft of the "beloved" statue called "Sophia" from downtown Venice, authorities said.
Two Bradenton men, Ryan M. Bartley, 20, and Victor L. Klein, 19, were arrested and charged with stealing the public art last month, the Venice Police Department wrote in a Facebook post.
"Sophia" was found in Sarasota waters Wednesday after being thrown off the Twin Bridges west of Ringling Causeway, the Sarasota Police Department wrote in a Facebook post. The SPD's Dive Team recovered the statue near Bird Key.
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Video surveillance footage shows one of the suspects breaking the statue off the base around 4 a.m. on May 18 and carrying it to a nearby car, Venice police said.
Detectives used this and other footage to identify the car and driver. Both Bartley and Klein were ultimately found and confessed to the crime, police said. They told investigators they threw it in the water near the Ringling Bridge.
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The estimated cost to replace the statue is $3,800, VPD said.
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