Spanish authorities recover fragments of missing Jack Nicklaus statue

A stolen statue of Seve Ballesteros has been recovered by Spanish police. The 100kg bronze sculpture, valued at approximately €30,000, was found in a storage room in Santander. According to authorities, the statue had been cut into pieces as the alleged thief prepared to sell its bronze content.

The statue, created in 2009 by sculptor Salvador Garcia Ceballos, was permanently installed in Pedrena, Ballesteros’ hometown in northern Spain’s Cantabria region, in 2017. It depicts Ballesteros in a signature pose celebrating his 1984 British Open win at St Andrews in Scotland.

Police arrested a 22-year-old man with a prior record for copper theft on Thursday. The suspect is believed to have planned to sell the bronze content of the statue for profit, according to authorities. Further investigation revealed that more individuals may be involved in the crime.

The statue was torn from its base in La Barqueria Park earlier this month before being dragged across grass and dismembered for transportation. Authorities are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the theft and potential involvement of additional individuals.

Source: Al Jazeera