BLUE BIRD STOLEN
Reward Increased to $2,000
posted 8-24-09 updatedGREENDALELIFE.COM EXCLUSIVE
by Ron Faiola
Al Emmons' well known and controversial statue known as "The Blue Bird" was stolen from the yard of a home at 7310 W. Elberton sometime after 10:00 pm on Saturday, August 22.
The owner of the home, Marceline Henrichs said there had been some "teenagers" on a scavenger hunt earlier in the evening. The youths rang their doorbell and asked for a sock and a ping pong ball. Henrichs believes there might be a connection between the scavenger hunt and the theft.
According to Henrichs, "The next morning we came out and found the bird had been stolen, it was awful." Henrichs' great-grandson Jacob added, "We were really sad. The Blue Bird belongs to Greendale."
The Greendale Police are currently investigating the theft. Emmons noted that even if this was a prank, it comes with a heavy cost, due to the high value of the statue. The culprits could be charged with felony grand theft.
Emmons says the weight and size of the bird requires at least two people to move the bird, and a large vehicle to transport it.
The Blue Bird had been installed at the home by Emmons the day before, based on a request from nine year old Jacob Henrichs who lives in the home with his great-grandmother Marceline and his grandfather Curtis.
Jacob has been a big fan of the Blue Bird since he was six years old and had compiled a scrapbook of articles about Emmons and the Blue Bird. His great-grandmother said he would always look forward to seeing the bird when it was on display in a yard on Northway, and even went downtown to see it when was on the roof of the Brady Street Pharmacy.
The bird had recently returned to the front yard of Emmons' home on Dale Lane. Emmons says Jacob called him to ask if he could purchase the Blue Bird and Emmons agreed after seeing how much Jacob loved the statue.
Jacob had given Emmons a down payment of $300 and promised to make regular payments over time. The purchase lasted less than one day. The bird's broken beak was found in the bushes as we were interviewing Jacob and his family for this story. Jacob was deeply upset by the find.
A $2,000 reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or persons involved in the theft has been offered by Emmons and the Badger Car Club. If you have any information, please call the Greendale Police at 423-2121
The story was featured on Fox 6 News on August 24 and 25th, and WTMJ Channel 4 will be airing a story on August 25.
GreendaleLife.com will update this story on a regular basis.
Click on the thumbnails to see the photos.
1) The site of the theft on Elberton and Westway. 2) Jacob points to the spot where the Blue Bird had been installed. 3) The broken beak. 4) Broken beak closeup. 5) Jacob and his great-grandmother Marceline hold his Blue Bird scrapbook. 6) The Blue Bird in the 2005 4th of July Parade. 7) Another 4th of July Photo. 8) Fox 6 reporter Jeremy Ross interviews Jacob. 9) Fox 6 cameraman Damon gets a close up of broken pieces of the bird.
photos copyright Ron Faiola, all rights reserved, no reproduction without written consent