Suspected Seal Beach Sculpture Thief Writes Apology Note

SEAL BEACH, CA — A woman suspected of stealing an $800 statue from an antique shop in Seal Beach sent payment and an apology letter to the business, police said.

After posting about the missing statue on their many social media accounts, the Seal Beach Police Department said many residents reached out to them with leads.

Police said somebody who knows the woman left a voicemail ensuring that payment or restitution for the sculpture would be voluntarily submitted. Later, police were informed that payment was received overnight with an apology note attached.

"We wanted to thank everyone who assisted us with this investigation including those who reached out to us with good suspect information," SBPD said in a statement on Facebook. "Once we're done with our investigation, we'll send it to the Orange County District Attorney's Office for review."

According to police, the sculpture was stolen on Saturday from Alamitos Antiques on Main Street. The sculpture is a miniature version of Antonia Canova's "The Three Graces," and depicts the mythological three Charities, daughters of Zeus.

SBPD is still actively investigating the incident to ensure no additional businesses were targeted.