Two people have been detained for allegedly stealing plaques off a Martin Luther King Jr. statue in a Long Beach park in November, according to police.
The Long Beach Police Department reports that the suspected theft occurred on the morning of November 27 at MLK Park, situated at 1950 Lemon Avenue.
They stated the two suspects stole several plaques and placed them in the bed of a vehicle before fleeing the scene.
“Detectives and professional staff immediately began conducting a thorough investigation,” according to a news release from Long Beach Police. “They collected security camera footage, canvassed the area and began reviewing Automatic License Plate Reader data to identify the suspects.”
On December 9, officers identified and arrested Sean Green, 44, on charge of grand theft. A little more than a week later, on Dec. 18, 34-year-old Anthony Martinez of Downey was arrested for grand theft and possession of methamphetamine, according to police.
“The theft and vandalism targeting the statue of Martin Luther King Jr. at MLK Park is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish stated in a statement.
He acknowledged the “immense sentimental value” that the statue has for the Long Beach community and stated that detectives will continue to endeavor to locate and jail anyone involved in “this type of insensitive activity.”
Police stated that they were still seeking to recover the stolen plaques.
Anyone with more information was requested to call LBPD at (562) 570-7351.
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