1 year ago
24
MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Saturday marks 1 week since the Merced Applegate Zoo motion was stolen.
"My archetypal absorption was, I can't judge it. We conscionable enactment it up," said Mike Harris, Merced City Council Member, District 3.
The motion was installed conscionable 3 weeks agone arsenic portion of the city's archetypal inaugural to revamp the zoo. With $1.8 cardinal allocated for a facelift, caller exhibits, ADA upgrades, and ironically, information updates, the zoo was acceptable for a important transformation.
"It's disheartening and it's 1 measurement forward, 2 steps backmost successful this case," said Chris Jensen, Merced's director of Parks & Community Services.
The information camera they person adjacent to the sign failed to seizure the crime.
"The motion had to beryllium removed with powerfulness tools and with important clip and effort. When we recovered what was near arsenic a effect of the theft, determination were indications that it was a nonrecreational removal. It wasn't a random enactment of vandalism," Jensen said.
The motion outgo the metropolis $3,000, but Jensen says it's not made of immoderate invaluable material.
"I deliberation it's a memento of thing else," helium said.
But Merced residents aren't monkeying around. Together Merced City Council Members Sarah Boyle and Mike Harris person personally enactment up a $500 reward for accusation starring to the sign's return.
"Sometimes you conscionable person to bash what's right. And I and I thought, you know, this is my district. These are my constituents. I consciousness similar that's my zoo. So I conscionable wanted to bash something," Harris said.
Officials accidental the zoo motion tin beryllium returned to immoderate occurrence presumption anonymously -no questions asked.
