A Minnesota man has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft and destruction of a bronze statue of author F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Dustan Charles Schmitt, 37, of Saint Paul, was charged with felony receiving stolen property after attempting to sell pieces of the cut-up statue to a local scrap metal yard. The statue, valued at $25,000, was stolen earlier this month from outside a Saint Paul office building, formerly the St. Paul Academy, where Fitzgerald once attended school.
Police issued an alert about the theft on February 11, prompting an employee at a local metal recycling business to report Schmitt’s attempt to sell the dismembered statue. The employee managed to retain some pieces before Schmitt fled.
Following an investigation, Saint Paul SWAT officers arrested Schmitt at his residence, where they discovered a propane tank with a blowtorch in his Jeep and additional torch heads in his bedroom.
While police have recovered some parts of the statue, several pieces remain missing. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Saint Paul Police Chief Axel Henry praised the scrap yard employee for their role in recovering parts of the statue and preventing further thefts.
Commissioned nearly 20 years ago by local developer Ed Conley, the statue depicted a young Fitzgerald seated with books in his lap. Conley has expressed hopes of restoring the statue and returning it to the community.
Booking photo courtesy of: Saint Paul Police Department
