Thieves steal childrens' mural on Fort Myers Beach
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Outrage after thieves steal a mural painted by kids. They volunteered hours of their time to make the art. Video by fox4now.com
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FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. - Masking a sprawling lot on Fort Myers beach are colorful murals painted by children. Best described by visitors like Dorothy Spinney as, "These are beautiful!"
But now a gaping hole marks where one is missing. Fort Myers Beach Recreation Center Manager Randy Norton is stunned someone would steal it.
"To see it missing is a tragedy," said Norton.
According to an LSCO report the theft happened late Wednesday night. A recreation center employee was driving along Estero Boulevard when she noticed three men stealing the mural. Two were on lookout while one was cutting it down.
"We drive by and look at it with such pride," reelected John G. Heim, a local artist. "One day we came by and the art mural was missing. It immediately saddened us."
Heim says he came up with the idea. But the project was led by the recreation center. More than 200 elementary school kids spent four months painting sea animals and nature on windscreens to hide the blight.
"For the longest time, it was nothing but just a really bad looking dilapidated area," added Heim.
But the void won't be there for long.
"We have a plan already involved to fill the gap," explained Norton. "It will be completed by the end of next week."
Today, people walked by admiring the mural. They wondered why there's a piece missing.
"What comes to mind?" asked Fox 4 reporter Gabrielle Sarann to Greg Spinney, visiting from Nova Scotia. "Anyone that would steal one has got to be pretty low," he replied.
Anyone with information, is encouraged to call the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
A photo aired by Fox 4 is courtesy of the Island Sand Paper.
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