Man arrested in theft of $35,000 statue outside community center

HOUSTON -- Houston-area authorities have arrested a 39-year-old man who they say stole a 500-pound bronze statue and then cut it to pieces to sell as scrap.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office says William Montgomery White has been charged with theft and was being held Tuesday at the county jail on an unrelated charge.

The statue stood in front of a community center in north Harris County for years and depicted a smiling boy returning from a fishing trip carrying his haul.

Authorities say the statue was stolen in August.

Its value was placed at upward of $35,000. Deputies recovered its pieces from a scrap metal business.

Online jail records did not indicate an attorney for White.