RED WING -- City crews wielded grappling hooks and pulled the 375-pound "Jester" statue, missing since last weekend, out of the Mississippi River just below Levee Wall at about 9 a.m. today, according to a report in the Red Wing Republican newspaper. The statue is relatively undamaged, though it was snapped off at the ankle from its base when it was stolen.
An 18-year-old Red Wing man was arrested Thursday evening in connection with the case, said Assistant Public Safety Director Tim Sletten. He said Fredrick Allen Hanson admitted his role in breaking the Jester statue and tossing it in the river.
The 5-foot-tall bronze sculpture, valued at about $15,000, was given to the city by an anonymous donor two years ago.
Hanson was booked into the Goodhue County jail on felony charges including property damage and theft. A 17-year-old Red Wing boy has been implicated and will be questioned.
Hanson reportedly told authorities he and the juvenile were in Levee Park about 10 p.m. Saturday when they snapped off the statue and dragged it to the river.
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-- Associated Press
