Story thread · 2 reports / 2 sources

Stolen statue honoring boy who died from rare cancer recovered

nbcmiami.com · 15h · first reportShare

A statue honoring a young boy who died from a rare cancer that was stolen over the weekend in Miami Lakes has been recovered, his parents said Wednesday. The Jakey Duque statue was stolen Sunday from the park that bears his name near Northwest 154th Street and Northwest 89th Avenue. Jakey died from a rare cancer in 2020, just a month after his fifth birthday. His parents documented his journey on social media and many people online, dubbed “Jakey’s Army,” supported the boy through his health struggles. The 44-inch bronze statue was unveiled in 2021 in support of the family. Only in Dade was offering $10,000 for any information leading to the statue’s recovery. Jakey’s parents said they don’t want to press charges and don’t have any information to share about who stole the statue or why. They said they will refurbish the statue and re-unveil it.