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ST. LOUIS (KTVI) — A stolen statue of Jesus has been found, but not intact.

Larry Rice with the New Life Evangelistic Center in St. Louis says the statue was broken into pieces after someone tried to sell it at a scrapyard.

The statue of Jesus as a homeless man sleeping on a bench was taken from New Life last Friday. It is valued at $33,000.

Rice says someone tried to sell it to a north St. Louis scrapyard but the owner wouldn’t accept it because it was stolen.

  • Courtesy: Larry Rice
  • Courtesy: Larry Rice

Rice said the thieves then sold it to an East St. Louis man who was at the scrapyard. He said he called police, who tracked the man down and found the statue in pieces.

There is no word on charges related to the theft.

Rice said he is looking into restoring the statue. He said he has talked with the statue’s manufacturer and a restoration company in St. Louis.

He said he wants to put the statue back together so it can now represent how the church helps the broken lives of its members through the powers of Christ.