Chipmunk-nappers Charged, Giant Cartoon Statues Recovered

Three Center Valley employees are finding out the hard way that there's just nowhere you can hide giant cartoon chipmunks.

Characters Alvin and The Chipmunks and Dr. Seuss' Lorax, valued at $1,800, were nabbed from on Dec. 5.

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore and the Lorax, were returned to the Rave on Dec. 7.

According to the criminal complaint, Rave manager Matthew Smith told police that Alvin and The Gang were taken by three employees: Michael Adams, 20; Daryn Stickler, 19, of Bethlehem; and Stephen Pleuler, 24, of Bethlehem.

They were reportedly aided by three other individuals: Alex Lee, 26, of Quakertown; Chris Lee, no age given, of Quakertown; and Jason Chon, 30, of Quakertown.

The chipmunk bandits had reportedly offered to buy the statues on four different occasions, but were denied. The men were reportedly told by witnesses not to take the statues from the cinema.

Rave employees, Luis Garlarza and Edward Nunez, were approached by the group and offered $50 to “turn their heads and not say anything,” police say.

Nunez and Garlarza refused the offer and reportedly provided written statements to Smith.

The complaint goes on to say the chipmunks were being sent to a restaurant in Hellertown, but were recovered by police in an undisclosed location in Quakertown.

The statue-nappers and alleged accomplices are charged with

• Theft by Unlawful Taking 
• Conspiracy of Theft by Unlawful Taking 

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb 21.

The Lorax perch still sits in the lobby, but the sign was damaged too much to hold the statue. All four statues are now being held in upstairs warehouse space.

Alvin, Simon, Theodore, and the Lorax all declined to comment for this article. 

The above arrest information was supplied by the office of the district justice . It does not indicate a conviction.