He’s a little worse for the wear, but Rocket the Rusty Rooster is coming home.
Rocket — a 10-f00t, 300-pound metal sculpture — was stolen late last month from his perch outside Lexington Vintage, an Athens antique store. His whereabouts remained a mystery until Monday, when store owner Bonnie Harris got a call from an Athens-Clarke County police sergeant.
Rocket had been found in nearby Oglethorpe County.
“I really was shocked,” Harris said Tuesday. “Pleasantly surprised.”
What exactly happened to the sculpture, or why someone may have wanted to steal it, remained unclear Tuesday. Athens police spokeswoman Hilda Sorrow said that “possible suspects were named but detectives have not confirmed that they are the offenders.”
The investigation was ongoing.
Whatever the motives behind Rocket’s disappearance, Harris said she was happy to have the $3,000 sculpture back. He’s currently being worked on at Saint Udio, the Athens business that put him together in the first place.
They’ll have to repair numerous injuries, Harris said, including damaged feathers and a missing eye. Harris estimated that it would likely be a week or so before Rocket reappears outside her shop — this time, welded to the top of a 15-foot stand with surveillance cameras pointed in his direction.
“They’ll have to bring more than a couple people next time,” Harris said.
About the Author
