A Port Arthur man is offering  reward for the return of a Virgin Mary statue that he believes was stolen from his yard over the weekend.
Louis Saldana said he will pay $1,000 for the return of the statue and information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for taking it from his yard.
The Blessed Mother Immaculate Conception pose statue was discovered missing from the residence at 3848 Meadow St., Port Arthur after Saldana and his wife Maria returned from an overnight trip.
He assumes the statue was taken sometime Saturday.
Though the religious statue is only valued at around $100, Saldana said to his wife the sentimental value is priceless.
“The statue was given to her by her mother before her mom passed away,” Saldana said.
Maria, he said, believes the statue saved her home during the hurricanes, and has continued to bless the couple after they moved to their new home on Meadow Street three years ago.
“When we moved into our new home, the first thing Maria said is we are putting the statue out,” Saldana said.
The statue measures about 24 to 30 inches tall. It was sitting inside a bird bath in the couple’s yard.
“They did not take the bird bath, and that had more value than the statue did,” Saldana said.
The statue was sitting there three years and nobody touched it, until last weekend, he said.
“I just want to get the statue back; it is of such sentimental value to my wife,” he said.
Anyone with information on the missing statue should call 409-718-0476.
E-mail: sherry.koonce@panews.com
Twitter: skooncePANews