ACROSS THE REGION

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Stolen Jesus statue found in alley

                  DETROIT

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          By Naomi R. Patton

         Free Press Staff Writer

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They will now have to answer to Jesus.

An 8-foot statue of Jesus that was stolen from the cross at the Church of the Messiah on Detroit’s east side was found in a alley near the church.

The Rev. Barry Randolph and Patricia Bower, a woman who lives in the neighborhood, decided to take a shortcut home and found Jesus "in a bush, between two trees" Wednesday night.

Randolph and a church member went to pick up Jesus and found the green-hewed [sic], weather-beaten statue with only a hand missing.

"We are truly grateful," Randolph said Thursday.

But in a twist, someone advertised the statue for sale on the classified ad Web site Craigslist on Wednesday. Then, presumably the same person called the church to try to sell it back to the congregation for $1,000. Randolph said he declined. The statue had been found by then.

The statue is made of a strong plaster, but a thief or thieves may have mistaken it for copper. A parishioner called church staff Tuesday morning and told them the statue was missing from the 107-year-old Episcopal church at 231 E. Grand Blvd. The cross on the side of the building was badly damaged.

"We got calls from all over the world," Randolph said of how fast the news spread.

The church will have the statue and cross repaired and will host a "resurrection celebration" when it is put in place. Randolph said the church will post a sign next to it: "Jesus is not copper. Do not take him off the cross."

Somebody give that statue a hand!