Los Angeles

Arrest Made in Theft of Marilyn Monroe Statue

An arrest has been made in the theft of the Marilyn Monroe statue and the suspect is the same man accused of using an ax on President Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, officials said.

Austin Mikel Clay, 25, was convicted last summer after being caught on camera obliterating the Trump star.

Clay was back on the Walk of Fame, climbing to the top of a gazebo with a saw, police allege.

"It's unfortunate he’s seeking this method to gain fame," said LAPD Detective Douglas Oldfield.

An NBC4 viewer witnessed the crime and helped launch an investigation. Security video led detectives to Clay who's been on felony probation.

"We saw that he was on probation so we decided to pay him a visit where we obtained evidence," Oldfield said.

When he went after Trump, Clay said it was politics.

"I wanted to make a statement," he said at the time.

The motive for Marilyn? "That's what this person wants is to be famous," Oldfield said. "We like to say this is the wrong way to go about it."

But Marilyn remains missing.

Oldfield said that it could be broken and in multiple pieces.

Police said the suspect climbed a piece of artwork on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Sunday and used a hacksaw to remove a statue of Marilyn Monroe on top of the Four Ladies of Hollywood gazebo.

Security camera video appears to show someone jump down from the artwork and walk away with a backpack.

The man and another man — both wearing caps — can be seen on the Walk of Fame with the backpack before they enter the nearby Roosevelt Hotel and meet with a couple in the lobby. They are seen opening the bag and taking a look inside.

The Hollywood Gazebo celebrates women in film from different cultures who brought change to the film industry. The artwork features depictions of Dolores Del Rio, Dorothy Dandridge, Mae West, and Anna May Wong.

A statue of Monroe, who died in 1962, striking her famous pose from "The Seven Year Itch" stood atop the structure.

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