LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a beloved chicken statue that was reported missing from a Lincoln restaurant has been found damaged.
Lincoln police say the chicken, known as Pioneer Pete, was stolen early Saturday from Lee’s Restaurant. All that remained of the 5-foot, 200-pound statue were torn chicken feet.
The statue was found Wednesday behind the restaurant with most of its head broken. The restaurant owners say they’re grateful the thief or thieves returned all the broken pieces, which will help when fixing the bird.
The statue has been outside the restaurant for 50 years. The owners say its disappearance brought dozens of visitors to the business for photo ops with the torn chicken feet.
Police say they’ve dusted Pete for fingerprints, but they have no suspects.