Unexplained statue pops up in Houston's Third Ward

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Here in Houston, we've seen our share of mysterious statues.

Think of those David Addick's presidential heads east of downtown.

And, don't even get us started on that pickle statue in Tomball.

First reported by the Houston Chronicle, a new statue in Houston's Third Ward near Blodgett and Crawford has people pulling over to find out more.

"I didn't know if it was a real person or not," said Kimberly Shockley, who lives across the street. "I was staring outside my living room window, and it just kept looking like it was watching me. I was paranoid, so I would hide."

The statue appeared on March 2, making its grand entrance sometime in the dark of night.

Those who live nearby say there was another statue involving a toilet in the same spot months ago. That's gone now.

"I don't even know how they could have put it up without nobody seeing it," said neighbor Larry Duncan. "See, that's mysterious."

This statue wearing a police uniform with a face mask, is standing on a tire surrounded by flowers.

"It was a female mannequin at first," Shockley said. "The head was taken off at one point and now it's been replaced, the wig has been removed."

"It represents more than just a mannequin. It represents somebody's soul. Every time I pass by, I do the sign of the cross," said Patrick Vansin, who lives nearby. "I'm from the country. I'm from Louisiana and that's just paying my respects to it."

But, what does it mean? Who put it up? Nobody seems to know.

"Like simultaneously threatening or a commentary on threatening police activity or gentrification but also, like, peace. It's kind of a strange, surprising thing to see," explained Paige Quinoñes, who said she warns her friends about it before they visit.

"I haven't even looked at it up close because I refuse to go too close to it because I don't know if that thing will come alive or not," laughed Jasmin Talley, who was driving by.

"To me, it's a combination of, 'Let's take back our streets,' and have people think twice about speeding through a school zone," explained Ed Pettit, who often drives by. "To me, it looks like a policeman holding a speed gun."

"It was a little freaky because the first time I saw it, it was in the dark. So, you kind of wonder, what is going on there? It means nothing to me, but I like the fact that it's an evolving piece of street art that hasn't been removed by the city," said Charles Irvine, who walks by every day.

Perhaps Duncan said it best, "Only thing I can tell you, and I think we can agree. It's there."

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