Arrests made in La Crosse sculpture vandalism case

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - Three people have been arrested in connection to a vandalized sculpture in La Crosse.

Mayor Mitch Reynolds of La Crosse and the La Crosse Police Department put out a joint release Thursday that stated 21-year-old Caden Boge, 20-year-old Matthew Reich, and 22-year-old Victoria Rodewald were taken into custody and recommended for charges after police say they are responsible for the damage done to the Hatched Baby sculpture outside of City Hall in La Crosse.

According to police, the head of the sculpture was torn off and the face was stolen. Pictures appeared on social media before police found the face of the sculpture on the lawn of a house on the 1000 block of King Street. At the time of the vandalism, Reynolds put out a statement saying that the sculpture couldn’t be displayed in its current state until it was restored.

Boge is being recommended for felony charges of theft and possession of stolen property, while Reich is being recommended for felony charges of criminal damage to property and receiving stolen property. Rodewald is being recommended for a citation for possession of stolen property.

Hatched Baby, which was created by Wolfgang Auer, was given to the City of La Crosse in 2018 by its sister city Friedberg, Germany. The La Crosse Arts Board denounced the vandalism in September, with the board encouraging conversation about art.