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Stolen Jesus statue returned to Detroit church

A Detroit woman has found Jesus ... in an alley. The pastor of a church in the city said its stolen 8-foot Jesus statue was recovered from bushes about two blocks away.

The cross where a 8-foot statue of Jesus Christ was stolen is shown on an exterior wall of the Church of the Messiah in Detroit, Wednesday. Thieves seeking copper to sell as scrap may have stolen the statue, which is a green color and looks like copper, but was made with plaster. Paul Sancya / AP

June 5, 2008, 7:58 PM UTC / Source: The Associated Press

A Detroit woman found Jesus ... in an alley.

The pastor of a church in the city said its stolen 8-foot Jesus statue was recovered from bushes in an alley about two blocks away.

Patricia Bowers said she notified the church late Wednesday that she had seen the statue the previous day after she had gotten off a bus.

Bowers said she didn't realize the green-hued, plaster statue had been stolen until seeing news reports Tuesday night.

The Rev. Barry Randolph said the only damage to the statue was a broken hand. The cross it was attached to suffered major damage.

A church member noticed the statue missing Monday. Thieves may have thought the statue contained copper, which often is stolen and sold as scrap metal, Randolph said.