300-Pound Statue Stolen

A Pueblo man said he is moving out of his south side home because he doesn?t feel safe anymore.

?We need to (move),? said Chong. ?We don’t feel safe here.?

Wei Ho Chong filed a police report stating that a 4-foot-tall, 300-pound bronze Buddha statue was stolen from his house.

?It?s horrible,? said Chong. ?I can?t find my Buddha.?

Chong realized it was missing a few days ago.

?How did they carry it away?? he asked. ?(It?s) so heavy.?

?Because it was so heavy, obviously it was more than one person that did this,? said Sgt. Eric Bravo with the Pueblo Police Department. ?I think, probably, someone that saw that admired it and wanted it.?

Chong has been a Buddhist for 22 years said the statue was important to him.

?I just got mad,? he said.

Since then, Chong said he has been using a chair to block his front and back door every night to keep intruders from coming inside.

So far, Pueblo police do not have any suspects. Bravo said he doesn?t believe the statue was taken for scrap metal because bronze isn?t worth much.

Anyone with information on this crime is asked to call Pueblo Crimestoppers at 719-542-STOP.