The first statue of Melania Trump in her native Slovenia was destroyed by fire, and now its bronze replacement has disappeared, leading to a police investigation, the Guardian reported, BTA reported.
The life-size bronze statue of the US first lady was found near her hometown of Sevnica in 2020, after arson destroyed the previous wooden one.
"The theft was reported on May 13 and officers immediately visited the scene and began an investigation," said Alenka Drenik Rangus, a police spokeswoman.
According to police and the creator of the bronze statue, American conceptual artist Brad Downey, it was cut off at the ankles and taken away. Downey said he learned of the theft while he was preparing a new project in Germany, and said he was "a little sad that it's gone".
"My feeling is that it has something to do with [Donald Trump's] re-election, but who knows, right?" Downey told AFP. He added that when the original statue was set on fire, "it didn't look right", so he decided to replace it with a bronze replica.
The original statue, which depicted the US first lady in a blue dress and high heels, was carved with a woodcutter by local artist Ales Župevc. The bronze statue was placed in a private field – secured with concrete and metal rods – near Sevnica towards the end of Donald Trump's first term as president, while he was campaigning for re-election. Melania Trump's presence in the White House when her husband became US president raised hopes that he might one day visit her homeland, which has yet to happen, notes "The Guardian".