Dr. Seuss' famous Lorax statue was taken from the late author's La Jolla home over the weekend.
The statue was one of only two in the world created by the children's book author's step-daughter, Lark Dimond-Cates.
Theodor Seuss Geisel lived in the La Jolla home on Mt. Soledad until his death in 1991. His widow, Audrey Geisel still lives there. She discovered the statue was missing when she woke up Monday morning.
The 300-pound, 2-foot-tall bronze statue is worth an estimated $10,000 -- however Dimond-Cates said the Lorax is priceless to the family.
"It's crummy to sneak into a 90-year-old widow's home in the dead of night and steal her Lorax," Dimond-Cates said. "You can't be doing that."
Lark Dimond-Cates sculpted the Lorax for her step-father's Massachusetts memorial. Audrey loved the statue so much she asked her daughter for a copy.
"It gave her so much happiness to get up every morning and look out and see her little Lorax out there," Dimond-Cates said. "And she got up the other day and he wasn't there."
The home was in the process of installing security cameras, so there is no surveillance footage of the theft. The home's manager, Carl Romero, believes the thieves dragged the 300-pound statue down the home's hill, over a fence and possibly into a car.
"Give me a call, I'll come and get it," Romero said. "I won't press charges. But if we find it, we will definitely press charges and your name will be in print and everybody will know you did it."
San Diego police are investigating the theft.
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The Lorax story was recently adapted to a movie, released March 2 -- Dr. Seuss' birthday.
The book, published in 1971, follows a young boy through a pristine pollution-free world. The boy encounters the Lorax, who "speaks for trees" on the importance of preserving the ecosystem.
"Let's bring a happy ending to this story," Dimond-Cates said. "The little guy doesn't belong to you, he belongs up at the Seuss house. Bring him home."
Audrey Geisel, pictured right, at her La Jolla home where the statue was taken from.
Check back for more information on this developing story.
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