The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office reported it has one suspect in custody and is looking for a second in their alleged roles in December in stealing historic signs from Delgadillos’ Route 66 Gift Shop in Seligman, Arizona.
The Daily Courier of Prescott, Arizona, reported late Tuesday that William Martin Clark, 38, of Prescott Valley, Arizona, is in the Apache County Jail.
Dwight D’Evelyn, media relations coordinator for the sheriff’s office, said in a news release Clark was interviewed and admitted his involvement in the theft of the Coca-Cola and Goodyear Tire signs from the shop, each valued at about $3,000.
Authorities also are looking for Robert Alexander Sadova, 48, of Prescott on theft and burglary charges.
The signs were stolen about 2:30 a.m. Dec. 3. The Route 66 Gift Shop owners reported the theft Dec. 4. Surveillance cameras picked up images of the two thieves.
The sheriff’s news release also notes the two might have committed a similar theft near Kingman, Arizona.
The signs have not been found. Detectives said someone may have bought the signs without knowing they were stolen.
The sheriff’s office asks anyone with information about the whereabouts of Sadova or the signs to call at (928) 771-3260.
Shop owner Angel Delgadillo, who will turn 90 years old in a few weeks and is known as the Guardian Angel of Route 66, probably is the most beloved person on the Mother Road because of his hospitality and the crucial role he played in reviving the old highway.
UPDATE 3/1/2017: Sadova now is in custody, reported the Williams News.
(Image of the stolen Seligman signs via Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office)
I do hope the signs are recovered.
My friend Ron and I enjoyed meeting Juan at the Snowcap in 2001. We visited again in 2006, sitting in Angel’s barbershop chair (he wasn’t there at the time). Peter Woodman.
Maybe it is time to put up replicas and keep the originals away from thieves?
When is Angel’s birthday? I would like to send a card. Everyone should send a card.
According to Wikipedia, it’s April 19.
Maybe it’s time to put the thieves behind bars and return the originals (if ever recovered) to their rightful place. No one wins when you let thieves dictate your behavior, except the thieves.
I’m involved with several preserved “heritage” railways in the UK. Security is one of all preserved railways’ and miniature railways’ difficulties. Not only will so-called enthusiasts steal locomotive name plates, number plates, etc for their “private collections” or to sell on, but thieves stealing anything metal – mostly non-ferous – to sell to dishonest scrap merchants are prevalent. Putting replica name and number plates on locos (in cheap metal or even plastic) is a quite common way to deter the theft of the originals. Put a price on anything and someone will want it, one way or another.