Overview
- San Jose police confirmed the bronze statue was sawn from its base in Guadalupe River Park near the Center for the Performing Arts.
- The theft occurred sometime before Oct. 15 and is being investigated under case #25-288-0623.
- Authorities asked anyone with information to call the San Jose Police Department’s non-emergency line at 408-277-8900.
- City officials and park stewards described the artwork as a beloved cultural symbol that depicts the folklore hero Momotaro with a dog, monkey and pheasant and was gifted in 1993 by Okayama, Japan.
- The statue’s bronze plaque was also taken, and the incident follows other public art thefts locally, including a sister-city statue recovered from a scrapyard in 2023.