Lean on Me: Statue of Ronald Reagan Left Tilted after Attempted Theft

Photo Credit: Associated Press/The Daily Mail

A life-size bronze statue honoring late US President Ronald Reagan has been left in a precarious position after a vandal tried to remove the statue from its pedestal. The statue was dedicated only a month ago, on what would have been Reagan's 100th birthday.

Police were called to Bonita Canyon Sports Park in Newport Beach, California, early on Sunday morning. Witnesses had alerted authorities that a man was seen attaching a rope or chains to the base of the statue which he then hooked to the extended cab of a pick-up truck. The suspect left the scene of the crime before police arrived.

The statue of a waving and smiling Reagan was commissioned for $60,000, which was raised primarily through private donations. Police Sergeant Kirk Jacobi told told the local newspaper, "Either someone really didn't like Reagan or they tried to steal it so they can sell it for scrap metal."

There is no word on how much repairs to the statue will cost local government.