6-foot statue of Jesus located after being taken from Eagle Lake home

EAGLE LAKE (FOX 13) - A Polk County resident whose 6-foot statue of Jesus was taken from their yard was rejoicing Friday night after the heavenly figure was located and being returned.

The Polk County Sheriff's Office and Heartland Crime Stoppers were helping in the search for the missing statue.

During the initial phases of the search, the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post there was a chance someone thought the statue was placed near the roadway because the owner was going to discard it.

However, the homeowner said it had been moved to the end of the driveway to await pickup by a restoration company, which was going to apply a fresh coat of paint.

"Regardless of the reason, this Eagle Lake resident wants his Jesus back," the sheriff's office said in a Facebook post.

As it turns out, the sheriff's office said a junk dealer saw it on the side of the road and thought it was trash.

Once the person was told about the search for the statue, they notified the sheriff's office and said they would return it to the owner.