Iconic cowboy statue stolen from White Buffalo Saloon

SARASOTA (FOX 13) - Some call him a cowboy. Others call him a desperado, but at the White Buffalo Saloon in Sarasota, everyone calls him Pedro.

"Some people have taken pictures with him, some people hug him, some people just go stand next to him and lean on him. It depends on your sobriety levels too," said bartender Ryan Loughney.

Last Friday morning around 1:30, just before closing time one man decided to take advantage of Pedro. Instead of posing for a friendly photo with the life-like statue, he was captured on surveillance camera whisking Pedro away from the back porch, stealing the beloved fixture of the saloon.

The suspect is seen driving off with Pedro's feet sticking out of his trunk.

"We have a lot of concerned employees, a lot of concerned patrons," said Michael Evanoff.

The theft only took a few minutes and by the time people got the attention of the bartenders it was too late. Pedro was already long gone.

"I guess he looked and saw one of the bartenders wasn't looking at him and just took off," said Loughney

Owner Michael Evanoff said the man won't get away with targeting his business or Pedro. He's working with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office.

"We are going to get to the bottom of this and find out who took Pedro," said Evanoff.

Many have posted photos of Pedro asking for information on his whereabouts. There's even a Facebook page dedicated to bringing Pedro back. Sure, it's funny, but it's a crime.

"I think we are getting a little bit of comic relief out of it just because it's Pedro, but still it's not good to steal anything," said Loughney.