One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Controversial Ronald Reagan Statue Damaged in Attempted Theft
Reagan, the non-statue version
A controversial life-size statue of a former president placed in a Newport Beach park suffered damage after a botched attempt by a thief to remove it from the site, according to Newport Beach Patch.The statue of Ronald Reagan, approved in January, was unveiled last month. The controversy arose in part because local officials differed on the definition of the statue as "art."
The Reagan statue was funded privately, but is situated publicly to all for all of the California politician's fans to see.
The attempted theft took place at around 5:30 a.m. Sunday. A witness says he saw "a man tie a rope around the statue, attach it to his truck and back away quickly," per Newport Beach police Sgt. Kirk Jacobi, who added: "The witness followed the truck but lost him soon after."
The statue was left "tilting like the leaning tower of Pisa," and was since hauled away for repair.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
