Man Charged in St. Paul Theft of F. Scott Fitzgerald Statue

Dustan Charles Schmitt, a 37-year-old man from St. Paul, has been charged with felony receiving stolen property in connection with the theft of a bronze statue of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The statue, which depicted a young Fitzgerald and was stolen from St. Paul Academy, was reported missing between February 3 and February 7. Schmitt allegedly attempted to sell cut-up pieces of the statue to Northern Metal Recycling, prompting the employee to alert the police. Investigators recovered several parts of the statue, as well as a metal plaque and bird reported missing from Unity Church. After executing a search warrant at Schmitt's residence, authorities found tools like a propane tank and blow torch, and some fragments of the statue remain unaccounted for. St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry praised the recycling center's efforts in upholding state laws regarding scrap metal sales, which likely prevented further thefts in the community.