"It's just mean!" Guitar-playing frog statue stolen from West Bend, reward now offered

WEST BEND (WITI) -- The West Bend Friends of Sculpture hopes you can provide some information that would lead to the return of a missing frog sculpture.

Officials say someone stole the guitar-playing frog statue from the downtown area sometime in the middle of January. The theft was reported to the West Bend Police Department in early March -- after the businesses realized that the frog was missing.

"It's a despicable act. It's just mean! And it hurts everybody in the downtown area," said Annette Techtman, a West Bend resident.

"I'm really sick about this. These frogs, these three frogs, are really icons of our community," said Sue Millin, Executive Director for the Volunteer Center of Washington County.

The 50-pound frog in question is valued at more than $2,500.

"With the value of the frog, it's a felony theft -- if it were to be prosecuted that way," said Lt. Michael Hartwell of the West Bend Police Department.

The frog is owned by West Bend Friends of Sculpture. Shawn Graff, who is the director of West Bend Friends of Sculpture, announced on Tuesday, March 10th the group is offering a $500 reward for the return of the frog.

"It's one of those things where people would see the frogs, and they would stop their car, they'd get out, they'd sit next to the frog, they'd snap their picture with a frog. So again, these are fixtures of our local community. So, it's a shame that one's missing," said Graff.

Shawn Graff can be reached at 262-707-5700 or the Police Department can be reached at 262-335-5000.