Man arrested and charged after Emily Murphy statue theft: Edmonton police – Edmonton [Video]

Nearly two months after police were notified that a life-sized bronze statue of women’s rights pioneer Emily Murphy was stolen from an Edmonton park, police have announced that an arrest has been made in connection with the theft.

In a news release issued Thursday, police said Manuel Antonio Saavedra, 43, has been charged with two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000 for the purpose of trafficking and two counts of possession of proceeds of crime. Police said Saavedra was arrested and charged a little more than three weeks ago.

Police said City of Edmonton personnel first noticed the statue was missing on Feb. 24. The statue appeared to have been cut off near the ankles. Police were also told that a stand-alone plaque next to the statue was also missing.

According to police, investigators also looked into seven reports of decorative address plates being stolen from homes in …