Thieves steal bronze statue from military memorial in Paramount

Los Angeles County veterans were outraged after thieves stole a bronze statue from a military memorial in Paramount.

"I'd kill them if I could," Vietnam veteran Frank Walker said. "He needs to be drafted. He wouldn't last very long."

The thieves stole the life-size bronze statue of a soldier kneeling at a battlecross, cutting it from its base in less than four minutes, the city of Paramount said. The statue was placed down the street from American Legion Post 134, which is part of the largest veterans service organization in the country. 

"We really need to support these vets, and it's a kick in the stomach for somebody to steal a monument like that," said Manuel Covarrubias, a member of American Legion Post 134. 

Covarrubias, who comes from a military family, said he visited the memorial regularly. He called the theft a disgrace.

"I heard the tears of my grandmother with my uncle in Vietnam, the ones that didn't come back," he said. "I heard the tears of my sister. My nephew was serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. To hear those tears is a different cry."

Last year, just before Memorial Day, thieves sawed the bronze rifle off of the statue. The vandalism and theft prompted the city to reinforce the statue and add better cameras and lights. However, determined thieves got away with it again. 

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is investigating the theft, but they will not release video of the suspects.