Someone Swipes Giant Cactus Statue From NM Library

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are investigating a thorny theft case of gigantic proportions.

KOB-TV reports someone stole a giant fiberglass cactus Monday night from behind a public library.

High school students spent an entire summer building the $50,000 art piece shaped like a prickly pear cactus. They were part of a nonprofit group that provides art education for at-risk kids.

City officials say thieves probably unbolted the bright green cactus from the ground and used a pickup truck or van to cart it off. The city says the statue doesn't weigh much so it was likely easy to carry off into the night.

A nearby resident, Paul Freshour, says the statue is probably pretty tough to hide, so he's hopeful that officials will recover it.

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Information from: KOB-TV, http://www.kob.com