A swan sculpture stolen while it was in the back of a pickup truck on May 19 has found its way home, thanks to two local men who found it while out fishing.
- Kelly Burlingame, 32, and friend found missing swan
- Swan stolen along with truck by Ronald Thompson, 47, from Lakeland office park
- Swan returned to owner undamaged
Kelly Burlingame, 32, along with a friend were out fishing near Old Tampa Highway Friday when they came across the wayward fowl. He later went home and told his mother, Maria, about his find.
When she heard Kelly describe it, she knew exactly what it was and where it came from.
"[Kelly] goes, 'Mom, do you want to go see this swan that somebody threw away?'" Maria explained. "And as soon as he said 'swan' I go, 'Kelly, is it black and white?' He said, 'Yeah,' and I said, "That's stolen, let's go look."
The swan, standing about five feet tall and painted black and white, is similar to other swan sculptures located around Lakeland, "the City of Swans." That's why Maria knew it was important to get the stolen fiberglass water bird back to its owner. She called the Polk County Sheriff's Office, who went out and picked it up.
"I don't care what it is," said Maria. "You don't have rights to take nothing that does not belong to you."
The swan has since been returned to its owner no worse for wear. Thompson, meanwhile, now faces charges for stealing the pickup truck and the swan.