After bronze urns were stolen from the Schmidt House and some recent arrests took place at the brewery property, real estate broker Troy Dana decided it was time to place the cherubs and planter in storage before it was too late.
Four juveniles were arrested on suspicion of criminal trespass after they were found hanging out one afternoon in one of the brewery warehouses, Tumwater police detective Jen Kolb said.
The statues of childlike figures are solid copper, each weighing an estimated 115 pounds, which might be too tempting for some thief looking to cash in on the value of recycled metal.
“That’s why I had to get them out of there,” Dana said.
Wilson Recycling Executive Director David Baker said the Shelton-based recycler pays $2 per pound for copper, which means the two cherubs have a recycled value of about $500.
Baker said he shows up to work some mornings and there’s a message from a private property owner, asking the business to be on the lookout for stolen property.
Stolen goods sometimes do show up at the business, he said.
“We’re by the book,” Baker said. “We do everything we can to prevent this from happening and work with law enforcement when it does happen.”
Olympia Tumwater Foundation Executive Director John Freedman said the fountain outside the main modern brew house is known as the “It’s the water” fountain, the same slogan that was used to tout the beer produced at the brewery.
Meanwhile, an 8-foot conduit roll, used for telephone wire and fiber optics, has become an eyesore after it lodged itself in the upper falls of Tumwater Falls next to the brewery, Freedman said, adding that he thinks someone kicked it into the river. He has called various agencies about the conduit roll and it has yet to be removed, Freedman said.
rboone@theolympian.com 360-754-5403 theolympian.com/bizblog @rolf_boone
