Thieves steal 14-foot Royals player off a Kansas City billboard
It appears there is a very crafty and resourceful thief on the loose in Kansas City. According to a report from The Kansas City Star, a thief (or thieves) somehow swiped a 14-foot, 150-pound 3D figure of an outfielder from a billboard at the intersection of Interstate 435 and Truman Road.
As the Twitter evidence shows, the billboard (sponsored by Hy-Vee) originally featured this image of an outfield wall at Kauffman Stadium with a 3D player leaping to make a catch.
BEFORE & AFTER: the stolen $7,500 @royals outfielder from this @LamarOOH billboard was handmade in @TheCityofBR. pic.twitter.com/ZK1ZaY07mD
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) April 28, 2016
But at some point on Wednesday night, that figure disappeared. Now Kansas City just has a billboard featuring an image of a wall, which is not very interesting to look at while stuck in traffic on the highway.
Tire marks from the @LamarOOH @HyVee billboard to the road are clearly visible. pic.twitter.com/g3OzmDtdkN
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) April 28, 2016
But highway aesthetic aside, this heist is mind-boggling. How is it possible to steal something that large without anyone noticing? How could a thief make off with what is effectively a 14-foot action figure? Does the thief (or thieves) have a box truck suitable for the cause? If not, what type of escape vehicle is necessary for that type of theft?
It's not like the figure was poorly secured. In fact, the player was apparently bolted in place.
Five bolts held the 3D @royals player in place, thieves cut those at his legs, arms & torso from the @HyVee ad. pic.twitter.com/nli42tvkwy
— Andres Gutierrez (@AFGutierrez) April 28, 2016
There was no word of any potential suspects as of Thursday afternoon and the player has yet to be located. The Star claimed that if the thief (or thieves) had just waited a few days, the heist never would have been necessary in the first place.
While the Royals have lost their last three games, they still sit in second place in the AL Central. Surely fans can't be this dissatisfied with the team already, can they?
