SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — A months-long search for a stolen metal T-Rex statue has ended with investigators literally digging the 400-pound dinosaur out of the ground nearly 20 miles from its home.
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office recovered the statue, affectionately nicknamed “Rex,” after receiving a tip that it was buried somewhere near North Short Road and West Montgomery Road north of Deer Park. The 3.5-foot statue was stolen from its perch in a roundabout near the Costco in North Spokane on March 8.
Deputies scoured the area for the missing dinosaur, concerned it could become Spokane’s newest fossil if not found quickly. After two months of investigation, they successfully located and excavated Rex from its underground hiding spot.
The statue sustained minor injuries during its ordeal and is currently being repaired by its owners. Neighbors eagerly await Rex’s return to the roundabout, though no official date has been set for when the dinosaur will reclaim its perch.
The sheriff’s office has not identified any suspects in the theft case. The investigation into who stole and buried the popular neighborhood landmark continues.
Rex had become a beloved fixture in the North Spokane community before its disappearance in March. The statue’s theft prompted concern from local residents who had grown attached to their metal dinosaur neighbor.
The recovery required investigators to channel their inner paleontologists as they carefully excavated the statue from its makeshift grave.
The successful operation brings closure to a case that had puzzled the community for months.
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