A reward is being offered, and some new information is coming to light, in the case of the stolen golden eagle.
Ron Shore, who owns the multi-million dollar statue, announced Thursday morning that he is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to its return. He also confirmed that it is currently valued at more than $7 million CAD.
The statue was stolen at around 10 p.m. on May 29 in the 4700-block of 57th Street in Ladner. Police this week said they are looking for two suspects and two vehicles in the case -- a black or dark blue large SUV, similar to a GMC Yukon, and a smaller red or burgundy SUV, similar to a Hyundia Santa Fe.
Shore said he was approached as he was walking to his car. He said he was hit over the head before one of the suspects grabbed the bag containing the statue and a second bag containing a decoy.
Shore said he gave chase and was dragged several metres after grabbing onto the dark SUV. He said he suffered a gash to the top of his head that required several stiches, as well as injuries to his legs and back, and a concussion.
He said the suspects were dressed all in black with only their eyes showing. No other suspect descriptions have been released.
Shore said he believes he had been followed that night.
“There’s little doubt in my mind that I was followed from Art Vancouver,” he said.
The statue is a custom hand-made, free-standing eagle measuring 26 centimetres by 10 centimetres and made from white and yellow gold, more than 50 carats in diamonds and a large emerald. Shore had the statue on display at Art Vancouver over the weekend. He created the statue as part of his campaign, The Ultimate Treasure Hunt, to raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer after the death of his sister-in-law to the disease. He said he was inspired to do something more after his brother died from cancer a year later and his own near-death experience. His goal was to sell the statue to raise money for a series of benefit concerts.
Det. Brad Cooper said investigators are still reviewing witness statements and surveillance footage. He confirmed that the statue is insured but declined to give an amount.
Cooper also said that while Shore was being accompanied by a security person, that person was “just not in an area that was effective at that moment.”
Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 604-946-4411 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.
