LATEST: With only hours left before America’s 250th Celebration this Saturday, a Catoosa County business is still asking for the public’s help in finding a stolen bald eagle statue.
Photo taken by James Coles
James Coles, the owner of the Barn Market at Deer Creek Farms, told Local 3 News he is putting up a $500 reward. It went missing in the early morning hours of Thursday.
“Right away my stomach just sank. My heart stopped. I just couldn’t believe it. I just don’t understand how someone would want to come and take something like that,” said Coles upon discovering the eagle statue to be stolen.
The statue is valued at over $3,000, but Coles said to him it’s invaluable. The chainsaw artist who crafted the eagle spent more than two years carving it.
“It’s massive. I’m six foot two inches and you could really tell from the size of this thing. It’s over seven foot tall. The talons are as big as my hands. It’s made into a really nice flagpole. The weight is several hundred pounds,” said Coles.
Coles believes multiple people were involved in stealing the large bald eagle statue because of it’s size.
“This is not one person who just came and did this. It was multiple folks who came in physically took it… They had to have been Barn Market shoppers in the past. Our cameras are displayed right at the cash registered so you know where exactly the cameras are facing where they’re looking at,” said Coles.
The wooden symbol of freedom was going to be displayed in the Barn Market during their Fourth of July festival, however that may not happen, if it is not returned in time.
Coles is asking the person or persons responsible to return the bald eagle carving immediately.
“I hope we come here in the morning and it’s sitting out front. I really hope someone gets a message and understands the value of this piece… Just bring it back. That’s the biggest thing. We want the sculpture back. Not only doesn’t mean something big time to us, but to the country. This is a bald eagle. It represents our America’s 250th and it belongs at the Barn Market”, added Coles.
Anyone with information about the theft should contact Detective James Rogers with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office at 706-935-2424.
You can learn more about the Barn Market here.
Just ahead of the Fourth of July, a symbol of American pride has taken flight, but not by choice.
The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in locating a large, hand-carved eagle statue that was stolen from the Barn Market at Deer Creek Farms in Ringgold early Thursday morning.
According to the sheriff’s office, the statue was taken sometime between 1:00am and 6:00am on Thursday, July 2.
The wooden eagle statue stands about 7 feet tall, measures 2 feet wide, and weighs an estimated 150 to 200 pounds.
The owner told Local 3:
“This isn’t how we wanted to head into our Fourth of July weekend at all.”
They hope that someone in the community will help find their prized statue.
Anyone with information about the theft should contact Detective James Rogers with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office at 706-935-2424.