UPDATE: West Acres Officials Confirm Another Roger Maris Artifact Stolen
West Acres officials confirmed a second item, the 1960 MVP plaque, has also been stolen.
A break-in at the West Acres mall this morning leaves glass smashed, artifacts damaged, and a community insulted.
The burglary suspect broke through the glass display case, taking the S. Rae Hickok belt, given to Roger Maris in 1961 as professional athlete of the year.
Many of the people who remember the baseball player say they were disappointed after seeing the aftermath of the break-in.
“It’s just an insult to everybody, cause that’s there for everybody’s enjoyment,” said Arthur Lies, a West Acres Patron. “Tourists especially really enjoy looking at that museum.”
West Acres manager Chris Heaton says only the belt was taken, but other sources tell us more than one item is missing (see update above).
West Acres tells us some of the other items missing from the display case are damaged and need to be repaired.
“We feel violated this morning and I’m sure many others in the community do as well, that something was stolen from Fargo’s favorite son, Roger Maris,” said Heaton.
Police say the suspect dressed in dark clothes from head to toe, smashed through the south east entrance of the mall at 2:48 this morning.
Deputy Chief Joe Anderson tells us mall security walks through the entire mall all night long, so the suspect was both fast and lucky.
“The amount of time that they were in and out, it would lead us to believe that they knew what they were looking for,” said Anderson.
The belt has a gold medallion with several inset gems.
The website for the award says the belt is worth between $90,000 and $140,000.
“We are deeply disturbed by this disgraceful event, and are working hand in hand with the Fargo Police Department to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” Heaton adds.
Isaiah Finley, a Roger Maris fan and college baseball player in Iowa, says this is not just an insult to the community.
“It’s a shame for baseball and a disgrace to Roger Maris,” said Finley.
Police say they don’t know what the man looks like or what color his vehicle is.
However, they’re still looking at surveillance video to help identify the suspect.
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People are saying they’re insulted and disappointed after someone broke into the Roger Maris museum of the West Acres mall.
Mall staff say only one item was stolen and other items were damaged.
The burglary suspect broke through the glass display taking the S. Rae Hickok belt, given to Roger Maris in 1961 as professional athlete of the year.
Police say the suspect dressed in dark clothes from head to toe smashed through the south east entrance of the mall at 2:48 this morning.
He went right to the display case holding the belt.
It has a gold medallion with several inset gems.
The award’s website says the belt is now worth between $90,000 and $140,000.
The manager of West Acres says it’s a priceless artifact to the community.
“We feel violated this morning and I’m sure many others in the community do as well, that something was stolen from Fargo’s favorite son, Roger Maris. We are deeply disturbed by this disgraceful event, and are working hand in hand with the Fargo Police Department to make sure the perpetrators are brought to justice,” West Acres Property Manager Chris Heaton says.
Police say they don’t know what the man looks like or what color his vehicle is.
They’re still investing surveillance video to find the burglary suspect.
