2 men arrested for stealing MLK statue plaques, police say
Sean Green, 44, and Anthony Martinez, 34, allegedly stole several plaques from the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in MLK Park on Nov. 27, according to authorities.
Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing plaques from the Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in Central Long Beach last month, police said.
Long Beach police say Sean Green, 44, of Long Beach and Anthony Martinez, 34, of Downey stole several plaques from the statue in MLK Park during the early morning hours of Nov. 27. The men then allegedly placed the plaques in a pickup truck and left the area, police added.
Using security camera footage, LBPD detectives and staff searched the area and reviewed Automatic License Plate Reader data to identify the suspects, police said.
On Dec. 9, police arrested Green on suspicion of grand theft, according to the LBPD. Two days later, officers arrested Martinez, and booked him on charges of grand theft, conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine, police added.
The plaques themselves have not yet been recovered, according to the LBPD.
In a statement, LBPD Police Chief Wally Hebeish called the vandalism of the MLK statue "unacceptable" and said the department would not tolerate it.
“The MLK statue holds immense sentimental value to our entire community, and I am extremely proud of the efforts of our personnel in bringing a measure of closure to the many individuals impacted by this crime,” Hebeish added.
LBPD detectives are continuing their investigation to recover the stolen plaques, police said.
Police are asking anyone with information about the theft to call the Burglary Detail at 562-570-7351.
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