2 arrested for stealing flamingo

By Courtney Shaw

Click here for updates on this story

    PARMA, Ohio (WEWS) — Two men, ages 20 and 21, were arrested after allegedly stealing a flamingo statue in Parma.

Police were called to the corner of Broadview and Snow on Saturday around noon in response to reports of a missing flamingo.

When police arrived, the concrete pad that held the flamingo on it had only one foot attached.

After watching videos from neighboring businesses, detectives learned a white Ford Escape was passing through the intersection around 2:45 a.m.

Detectives said two men exited the vehicle and loaded the flamingo onto the car.

Using nearby cameras, police found the car’s owner, who informed detectives that their 20-year-old son had access to the car. He was cooperative with police and returned the flamingo.

The two men have been charged with theft.

If this all feels like deja vu, that’s because another city-owned flamingo was stolen in May 2024.

The flamingo statue at the Anthony Zilenski Park has a replacement after being vandalized over a year ago.

In that case, three men pleaded guilty to vandalism, a fifth-degree felony.

The trio was sentenced to 180 days in jail and received a 170-day suspended sentence with credit for time served, meaning at the time of sentencing, they only spent nine more days in jail.

Each defendant was ordered to pay a $500 fine and was put on probation for three years. Additionally, they each must complete 500 hours of community service and must pay restitution for the damage done to the flamingo.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.