Overview
- The bronze statue, stolen from Pedreña the night of January 18–19, was recovered about ten days later in a storage unit in Santander’s La Albericia neighborhood.
- The monument of over 100 kilograms and valued at roughly €30,000 was discovered in multiple fragments, with the head and lower section intact and the torso and arms cut apart and hidden among scrap.
- Guardia Civil focused on preventing a melt‑down by intensifying inspections at scrap yards across Cantabria, Asturias and the Basque Country and by tracking suspicious vehicles that remained in the region.
- A 22-year-old Santander man was detained in the case, and investigators say they have not ruled out accomplices as the inquiry remains open.
- Local officials will meet with sculptor Salvador García Ceballos and the Ballesteros family and foundation to assess whether the damaged statue can be restored and returned to public display.