Pool Cleaner Charged With Bronze Bird Statue Theft

If you own a bronze sculpture, you might want to check your yard to make sure it's still there.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has recovered more brozne lawn statues than reported and wants area residents to check to see if their statues have been stolen.

Ron Flynn of the Siesta Key Association is one of those victims of statue theft. During the Sept. 6 association meeting Flynn flashed a photo of his bronze crane sculptures during the meeting, informing Sgt. Scott Osborne about how his $2,000 sculptures were sawed off from the base.

Now folks like Flynn will hope to see their statues recovered.

Detectvives recovered $8,500 worth of bronze crane and bird statues stolen from Siesta Key and Prestancia and announced the arrest of Jason McMahon, 40 of 3312 West 37th St., Bradenton, charging him with one county of grand theft for each case.

McMahon, a local pool cleaner, was stealing the statues to scrap them for cash, according to the sheriff's office.

The Sarasota Police Department charged McMahon in a similar case, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is pursuing charges for attempting to scrap the statues at All American Metals, Ameri-Metals Recycling and Premier Core.

“This is a prime example of the level of desperation that is driving local crime,” said Sheriff Tom Knight in a statement. “People addicted to prescription drugs will steal just about anything to fund their habit, and he was getting about $100 for each statue despite their actual value.”

If you or a snowbird neighbor is missing a lawn sculpture, call the Criminal Investigations at 941-861-4901.