St. Paul Police Recover 50-Pound Sunisa Lee Bust After 2025 Theft

Q: With only one arrest for receiving stolen goods, are the original thieves of the 50-pound Olympic statue still walking free?

Yes. Based on what police have said publicly, the people who actually stole the Suni Lee bust have not been identified or arrested. Authorities announced only one arrest: 22-year-old Da’Shawn T. Caradine on suspicion of receiving stolen property after officers found the nearly 50-pound bronze bust inside a St. Paul home during a shots-fired investigation. That charge indicates police believe he possessed or handled the stolen statue, but it does not by itself establish that he was one of the original thieves who removed it from Phalen Regional Park in July 2025. Police also have not announced any other arrests tied to the statue theft, and they have not explained who took it, why it was stolen, or whether more charges are expected. Reporting on the case consistently says no arrests had been made in connection with the gunfire call, either. So, with the information now available, it is fair to say the original thieves may still be at large. But that remains an open investigation, and police could still determine that the man arrested for receiving stolen property had a larger role if new evidence emerges.

Q: Hidden just two miles from its pedestal for over a year, what was the true motive behind hoarding the stolen bronze bust?

The true motive is unknown. Police recovered the bust and arrested a 22-year-old man on suspicion of receiving stolen property, but authorities have explicitly said they do not know—or have not disclosed—why the statue was stolen and kept. What is clear is that the bust was not apparently destroyed, melted down, or sold for scrap, which is what even police commanders said they might have expected for a nearly 50-pound bronze sculpture. Instead, it remained intact inside a home about two miles from Phalen Regional Park for more than a year. That suggests the people involved may have been holding it rather than quickly profiting from it, but that is still inference, not a confirmed motive. The known facts are narrower: the statue disappeared from the park in July 2025 along with a commemorative rock, the rock was later found in Lake Phalen, and the bust resurfaced only because officers executed a search warrant after responding to a shots-fired call. No arrests had been announced in the gunfire case at the time of the reports. So, despite the unusual recovery and the statue’s proximity to its pedestal, the motive behind hoarding it remains unresolved based on the public record so far.

Q: A late-night gunfire report unveiled a missing Olympic monument, but who actually pulled the trigger at the multi-unit home?

Police have not identified who fired the shots at the Forest Street multi-unit home. The public information released by St. Paul police says officers responded around 12:30 a.m., found spent rifle casings outside, ordered occupants out, and later recovered firearms, ammunition, and the stolen Sunisa Lee bust after getting a search warrant. But authorities also said no arrests had been made in connection with the shooting itself as of Friday morning. The only announced arrest was 22-year-old Da’Shawn T. Caradine, who was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property tied to the recovered statue. That does not establish that he was the shooter, and police have not publicly connected him to firing the weapon. So, based on the available reporting, the trigger-puller remains unknown. The gunfire investigation was still unresolved even as the statue theft case produced an arrest.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 28

A gunfire call in St. Paul led police to a home where a search warrant turned up the stolen 50-pound bronze bust of Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee.
Officers found spent rifle casings outside after 12:30 a.m., cleared the house, and recovered firearms and ammunition; no one was injured.
Da'Shawn T. Caradine, 22, was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, though police did not disclose a motive.
The bust had been stolen from Phalen Regional Park in July 2025 along with a 120-pound commemorative rock later found dumped in the park lake.
Police said plans are underway to reinstall the statue, which artist Seexeng Lee created to honor Lee and Hmong women in St. Paul's large Hmong community.