LOS ANGELES, CA – Authorities are investigating the theft of a life-size bronze soldier statue from the Armed Forces Memorial outside Paramount City Hall, the second major act of vandalism targeting the military tribute in little more than a year.
The theft occurred early Aug. 19 at the Paramount Armed Forces Memorial, located at the City Hall Memorial Plaza at 16400 Colorado Avenue.
Surveillance footage showed a dark-colored vehicle arriving near the memorial at about 2:15 a.m., according to information released about the case.
A person then used a tool to detach the bronze kneeling soldier from its base before loading it into a getaway vehicle.
The entire theft took less than four minutes.
The City of Paramount confirmed the theft in an official statement, saying the memorial holds particular significance because it was created to recognize military service members who sacrificed their lives for the country.
City officials described the removal as a deliberate attack on a public memorial and said they were “deeply disappointed and saddened” that a work intended to honor veterans had been targeted.
The stolen figure was part of an installation known as “The Battlefield Cross and Soldier.”
The city formally unveiled the artwork in November 2024 during a veterans ceremony. According to Paramount’s original unveiling announcement, the installation consists of three bronze elements: a kneeling soldier, a helmet and a battlefield cross.
The life-size soldier was designed kneeling at the foot of a battlefield cross representing a fallen service member’s rifle, boots and helmet.
Paramount says the sculpture was intended to symbolize respect for people who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and especially those who died in combat.
The broader Armed Forces Memorial also includes three honor walls listing Paramount veterans killed or missing in action during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
Veterans who regularly visit the site said the latest theft was particularly upsetting because of the meaning attached to the artwork.
“That means a lot to us,” veteran Louis Macias said. “Why would anybody want to take that?”
Frank Walker, who served as a hospital corpsman during the Vietnam War, said he was “sickened” after hearing that the statue had disappeared.
Navy veteran Andreas Cervantes said repeated attacks on the memorial damage the morale of veterans throughout Paramount.
“It hurts the morale for all of the veterans who have been around in the city of Paramount,” Cervantes said.
The Aug. 19 theft was not the first time the installation had been targeted.
In May 2025, shortly before Memorial Day, thieves cut away the bronze rifle from the battlefield cross and damaged other parts of the memorial.
Following that incident, Paramount invested in additional security measures around the plaza.
The city said those improvements included reinforcing portions of the artwork, installing enhanced surveillance cameras, adding lighting and signage and trimming landscaping to improve visibility throughout the memorial area.
Those measures were not enough to prevent the latest theft.
City officials said the people responsible were still able to remove the kneeling soldier in under four minutes.
Authorities have not released a detailed description of the person seen in the surveillance footage because the available images were not clear enough to provide reliable identifying characteristics.
No arrest has been announced.
Investigators also have not publicly identified the type of vehicle used beyond describing it as dark-colored.
The missing soldier and the previously stolen rifle are estimated to have a combined value of approximately $100,000.
That figure reflects the value of the missing artwork and does not necessarily include the cost of repairing or redesigning the memorial after the thefts.
Paramount has made public art a significant part of its civic landscape.
The city’s Outdoor Art Museum lists sculptures and installations throughout Paramount, including the Armed Forces Memorial at City Hall.
City planning documents also show that officials had already been considering additional repair and replacement work connected with the memorial before the latest theft.
A February 2026 Public Art Advisory Committee report included replacement of damaged Armed Forces Memorial artwork among proposed public-art expenditures for the fiscal year.
Earlier city budget documents had also allocated funding for improvements to the veterans memorial area.
Paramount’s fiscal planning materials included a $400,000 Veterans Memorial Renovation project, illustrating the scale of the city’s investment in the site.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the new theft.
Paramount contracts with LASD for law enforcement services, and the city falls within the area served by the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station.
LASD records identify Paramount as a contract city served by the department since 1957.
The city said it is cooperating fully with investigators and asked anyone who witnessed suspicious activity or has relevant surveillance footage to contact authorities.
Paramount’s official statement directs information about the theft to the Lakewood Sheriff’s Station at 562-623-3500.
City officials have not announced whether the remaining pieces of the memorial will be temporarily removed for protection or whether additional security modifications are planned.
They also have not said whether the stolen bronze could have been targeted for its scrap-metal value or whether investigators believe the thieves intended to resell the sculpture intact.
No motive has been established.
The city has continued using the memorial as the centerpiece of its veterans recognition programs.
Paramount’s annual Veterans Day ceremony remains scheduled at the Armed Forces Memorial on Nov. 11.
Officials said the latest theft will not change the city’s commitment to honoring veterans and preserving public art.
In its statement, Paramount characterized the removal as an act of disrespect toward those who served and said the city remains committed to restoring and protecting the memorial.
Residents and veterans are now urging whoever took the soldier and rifle to return them.
No suspects have been publicly identified, and the investigation remains ongoing.
