Video Released of Vietnamese Monument Theft

San Jose police on July 8 released surveillance video showing two suspects cutting through the base of a bronze soldier statue and hauling it from the Vietnamese Heritage Garden in a stolen commercial truck, part of a theft that damaged a memorial with deep meaning for the city’s Vietnamese community. The statue, an approximately 9-foot-tall South Vietnamese soldier, was taken in the early morning of June 21 from the “Thank You, America” monument on Roberts Avenue, according to the San Jose Police Department. Officers recovered the statue later that afternoon near the Coyote Creek Trail and Highway 280, but the suspects have not been identified. City officials and community leaders said the theft struck a memorial built to honor South Vietnamese and American soldiers and the refugees who later settled in San Jose. ### How did the theft unfold? The San Jose Police Department said the theft happened between 3 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. on June 21 at the Vietnamese Heritage Garden in the 1400 block of Roberts Avenue. Investigators said two suspects tampered with property at the site, stole several flags and removed the South Vietnamese soldier statue from the monument. ABC7 reported that police recently recovered infrared surveillance footage showing the suspects cutting through a fence to enter the property, then using a stolen commercial truck to drag the statue from the garden. (sjpd.org) Police said the truck had been reported stolen on June 18 from a business in the 1900 block of Monterey Road. ### What exactly was taken from the memorial? The “Thank You America” monument depicted a South Vietnamese soldier and an American soldier standing side by side, according to San José Spotlight and ABC7. San José Spotlight reported the memorial took more than a decade of effort to realize, cost roughly $500,000 and was erected in 2024. The stolen piece was the South Vietnamese soldier — an approximately 9-foot-tall bronze figure weighing about 1,500 pounds, ABC7 reported. (abc7news.com) Police said flags were also taken, and ABC7 said investigators reported an urn was stolen as well. ### Why has this hit San Jose’s Vietnamese community so hard? District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan said the damage went beyond the physical loss of the statue. “It’s extremely hurtful to see someone who didn’t think about the consequences and how it really hurt the Vietnamese community,” Doan told ABC7. (sanjosespotlight.com) (sjpd.org) At a June 22 appearance at the garden, Doan said the monument “carried deep meaning” for refugees who came to San Jose after the fall of Saigon. San José Spotlight quoted him as saying many in the community arrived after “losing our country, leaving behind our homeland, loved ones, career and entire lives.” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said on June 22 that he was “completely outraged” and that the city would take further steps to secure the garden. (abc7news.com) Assistant Police Chief Ali Miri said investigators had made “meaningful progress” and would continue until those responsible were identified. ### Do police know whether the theft was for scrap or something else? (sanjosespotlight.com) Sgt. Jorge Garibay of the San Jose Police Department told ABC7 that investigators do not yet know whether the statue was taken for its bronze value or as an act of hate. He said police did not have evidence at that stage to establish either motive. (sanjosespotlight.com) Garibay said detectives would work with the Santa Clara County district attorney if evidence supported hate-crime charges. He added that police were treating the case seriously regardless of motive. ### What are police and community leaders asking for now? The San Jose Police Department said the suspects remain outstanding and asked residents to review private surveillance systems for additional images or video. (abc7news.com) The department said anyone who recognizes the suspects or witnessed the incident should contact Detective Cobb of the Financial Crimes Unit by phone or email. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through the P3TIPS app, the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers tip line, or the organization’s website, police said. Doan told ABC7 that fundraising to restore the memorial would begin soon, and ABC7 reported that both soldier statues have been removed from the garden as the investigation continues. Police said information that leads to an arrest may qualify for a cash reward through Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers. (abc7news.com) (sjpd.org)