TWO SUSPECTS WHO allegedly stole a model of a baby dinosaur from a museum in the United States have turned themselves in to police.
The theft took place on Monday when the replica, which is valued at $10,000 (€7,500), was taken from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Science.
The polymer resin model of an edmontosaurus hatchling was about 12 to 14 inches long.
A number of props were also taken from a history exhibit in a nearby museum, including fake cabbage, lettuce, doilies, and an antique medicine bottle.
In a statement, the museum said that the dinosaur replica had been recovered. A man was seen dropping a bag near the back entrance of the museum on Wednesday evening after closing time. The man left the scene before security arrived, but the bag was found to contain the dinosaur replica.
The two suspects voluntarily turned themselves in the following morning.
Logan Todd Ritchey, 21, and Alyssa Ann Lavacca, also 21, have both been charged with two counts of theft or destruction of property.
“I doubt these two individuals realised the seriousness of tampering with artifacts and exhibits in a public museum,” police spokesperson Glen Allen said.
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