Instagram Post Leads to Bronze Dove Stolen From Slain Deputy Statue

Detective Jeremiah MacKay was killed during the February manhunt for a former LAPD officer

A bronze dove that is part of a memorial for a San Bernardino County Sheriff's detective killed during the Southern California manhunt for a fugitive ex-police officer in the mountains east of Los Angeles was returned after the thief posted a picture of the dove on Instagram.

A 13-year-old boy and a parent were issued citations in connection with the dove's disappearance from the base of a memorial statue for detective Jeremiah MacKay in Lake Arrowhead Village. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department received a report regarding a juvenile who shared a picture of the dove on Instagram.

In the post, the juvenile bragged about taking the dove (pictured, right). Authorities found the item in a shoebox in the boy's bedroom, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

The dove had been missing for more two months. It was part of the granite base of the statue dedicated to MacKay, who died during a shootout with ex-Los Angeles Police Department officer Christopher Dorner outside a cabin at the conclusion of a weeklong manhunt.

The statue, which depicts MacKay in a deputy's uniform and Scottish beret, was unveiled Sept. 1 in the 35-year-old detective's hometown. The 8 1/2-foot-tall statue is set on a 4-foot granite pedestal.
 

Contact Us