200-Pound Iconic Rudolph Statue Taken From Rolling Hills Estates
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES (CBSLA.com) — Someone has made off with a 200-pound wooden Rudolph statue from a neighborhood in Los Angeles County.
The theft of the statue, which sits atop Ranchview Road in the Rolling Hills Estates area, occurred Friday night.
The iconic statue has been a fixture in the community for 50 years.
The culprits left his broken antler behind, reported CBS2's Bobby Kaple.
"The neighbor says, 'Oh my gosh, please tell me Rudolph,' and I said, 'No,'" said Korry Taylor, the HOA president.
Taylor and her husband have been charged with taking care of the wooden reindeer for years.
"He's been up there for literally 50 years and he's one-of-a-kind. He's handmade. Hand-painted. And the thought that someone would take him, it's just heartbreaking," she said.
Tim Taylor, Korry's husband, said: "I originally thought, 'Well, maybe it's a prank. That somebody would bring him back.' But it's been a couple of days now and we haven't seen him yet."
Missing posters have now been distributed to try and locate the statue and the Lomita Sheriff's station has taken a police report.
"It is the lowest of low. I mean, especially at Christmas time. I literally cannot imagine someone taking Rudolph," Taylor said.