Ed Sullivan Statue Stolen From Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Building
NORTH HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Authorities said Monday that someone has made off with the Ed Sullivan statue that sits atop a pedestal at the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences building in North Hollywood.
The theft from the Hall of Fame plaza in the 5200 block of Lankershim Boulevard occurred Sunday, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a written statement.
The 20-pound solid bronze statue, valued at $45,000, was displayed alongside other legendary television personalities as part of an outdoor exhibit when it was taken. It stood at 1-foot, 6-inches, police said.
"My grandfather would be very proud and happy because he always liked a story and he always liked to be in the middle of a story," Vincent Precht, the late-Sullivan's grandson, told KCAL9's Rachel Kim. "To hear that his statue was taken, of course we want it back, but he would have liked it, I think."
Meanwhile, police said they were following up on some leads and asked the public to call the Hollywood burglary detectives at (818) 623-4081 with more information.
"We're looking at some of the video tape that we have from the area. We're following up on some leads that we have and we're hoping to get the statue returned to the Academy of Arts & Sciences as soon as we can," said John Catalano of the LAPD North Hollywood Division.