MLK Jr. memorial theft suspect surrenders to Denver police

Heather Willard
·2 min read
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DENVER (KDVR) — After Denver police tracked down portions of bronze artworks stolen from the Martin Luther King Jr. monument in City Park, one of the suspects has turned himself in.

Robert Duran, 47, turned himself in on Thursday, Feb. 29, according to the Denver Police Department. Investigators say Duran assisted with damaging one of the stolen metal pieces and was arrested on investigation of criminal mischief of $20,000-$99,999.

Stolen scrap metal database helps recover part of vandalized MLK statue

No official charges have been filed. The Denver District Attorney’s Office will make the final determination of charges.

Denver police are still searching for Herman Duran, 67, who was identified as the other suspect in this case. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.

  • A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A plaque detailing the history of slavery heading into the Civil War was stolen. Another panel that is still intact depicts the Civil War to Civil Rights period.
    A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A plaque detailing the history of slavery heading into the Civil War was stolen. Another panel that is still intact depicts the Civil War to Civil Rights period.
  • A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A torch on the side of the statue was removed.
    A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A torch on the side of the statue was removed.
  • A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A plaque detailing the history of slavery heading into the Civil War was stolen. Another panel depicts the Civil War to Civil Rights period.
    A monument to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Denver was vandalized. A plaque detailing the history of slavery heading into the Civil War was stolen. Another panel depicts the Civil War to Civil Rights period.
  • A torch on the side of the statue was removed.
    A torch on the side of the statue was removed.
  • A monument to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. sits in City Park
    A monument to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. sits in City Park Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Police said pieces from another memorial in City Park, the Thatcher Memorial fountain, were also stolen and recovered. Recycling workers who used ScrapTheftAlert.com helped police identify and recover some of the pieces sold as scrap metal.

The department also said because the bronze pieces were sold as scrap metal, the incident did not appear to be bias-motivated. The MLK Jr. monument was installed in 2002 and features several civil rights leaders, including Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Mahatma Gandhi and Sojourner Truth.

The bronze plaque was completely removed, along with pieces of marble from the monument, and it was expected to cost at least $100,000 for repairs before some of the pieces were recovered. A fundraiser to repair the statue was launched by former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and his wife, former state Rep. Wilma Webb.

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