An irreplaceable bronze maple leaf stolen in August from the RCMP memorial monument in downtown Moncton has been found.
Codiac Regional RCMP say they received information on September 27, indicating that an individual was believed to have the stolen memorial leaf.
The following day, officers arrested a 46-year-old man at a business on Edinburgh Drive in Moncton.
Officers searched a Church Street home in Moncton and recovered the missing bronze maple leaf.
Police say the leaf was damaged, and its condition is currently being assessed.
RELATED: Anger and sadness following theft of bronze leaf from RCMP monument
“We are relieved that this important memorial item has been recovered undamaged,” says Codiac RCMP Corporal Luc Picard. “This outcome is the result of information received from the public and the dedicated work of our investigators, particularly members of our Crime Reduction Unit’s Property Crime Team.”
Nadine Larche, whose husband Constable Doug Larche is one of three officers memorialized at the Honour Garden, received the good news on Monday. She was at home when she received a text asking whether RCMP members could stop by.
Six RCMP members arrived at her door.
“At that point, I had a feeling that something good was happening,” she said.
The officers delivered the news about the good leaf.
“I’m super happy, elated, grateful, over the moon, relieved, all the things I’m feeling now,” Larche expressed.
Larche said she initially remained optimistic that they’d find the leaf, but that hope began to fade as time passed.
“I was getting a little bit less hopeful,” she said. “Yesterday, when I got the news that they found it, it was super exciting.”
The monument also commemorates Constables Dave Ross and Fabrice Gevaudan, who were also tragically killed on June 4, 2014.
The 12 bronze maple leaves around the memorial contain more than 1,500 thumbprints from members of the three families, students, first responders and others in the community.
“It’s more than just a bronze maple leaf at the bottom of a statue,” Larche said. “It represents all the families that put their thumbprints into it. It represents the community, the policing community. It represents the history of Moncton, like a little piece of the story of Moncton.”
Larche is extremely grateful for all of the hard work of the RCMP who were involved,” A huge thanks and appreciation to everybody that was involved in the recovery of this meaningful piece of the monument.”
