The owner of a multimillion-dollar golden eagle statue maintains a robbery in Ladner last month was not part of an insurance scam.
"I'm really not interested in the insurance money because it doesn't cover what I put into it," Ron Shore told a press conference in North Delta last week. "I am not responsible for this theft and I only seek to get the eagle back."
Shore also announced last week a $10,000 reward for information leading to the return of the statue and confirmed it is currently valued at more than $7 million CAD. He added the reward is only $10,000 because he put all his money, including mortgaging his home, into making the statue.
The statue is a custom hand-made, free-standing eagle measuring 26 centimetres by 10 centimetres and made from white and yellow gold, more than 50 carats in diamonds and a large emerald. He created the statue as part of his campaign, The Ultimate Treasure Hunt, to raise money to help find a cure for breast cancer after the death of his sister-in-law to the disease. His goal is to sell the statue and use the funds to start a series of fundraising concerts in Vancouver, Toronto, L.A. and New York.
Delta police confirmed last week the statue is insured but would not comment on the amount.
The statue was stolen at around 10 p.m. on May 29 following an event at the Delta Manor Education Centre in the 4700-block of 57th Street. Shore said he was walking to his car when he was approached by a suspect dressed all in black with only his eyes showing. He said the suspect hit him over the head and said, "Give me the bag."
Shore said the suspect grabbed the bag and a second bag holding a silvercoloured replica of the statue. He said he chased after the suspect, grabbing onto the get-away car and was dragged several metres before falling to the ground. Shore said he suffered multiple injuries, including a gash to the top of his head that required stitches, and a concussion.
Police confirmed last week they are looking for two suspects and two vehicles - a black or dark blue large SUV, similar to a GMC Yukon, and a smaller red or burgundy SUV, similar to a Hyundai Santa Fe. Descriptions of the suspects have not yet been released.
Det. Brad Cooper said that while Shore was accompanied by a security person at the time, that person was "just not in an area that was effective at that moment."
Shore had the statue on display at Art Vancouver over the weekend before the robbery and said he believes he was followed from the exhibit to Ladner.
Cooper said last week investigators are still reviewing witness statements and surveillance footage.
Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 604-946-4411 or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or solvecrime.ca.
