It was reported on Thursday the 18th, artifacts belonging to Ft. Clatsop, had been dug up near the Netul River Trail on the south end of the park sometime in late March.
Superintendent Jon Burpee did not provide details about what might have been taken but stated the items may be up to a 100 years old. Because of this incident, park officials are concerned other sites may be at potential risk for the same type of vandalism.
It was said that the thief’s disturbed a dirt area about 1-1/2 the size of a dump truck. It is also possible they used metal detectors to locate the artifacts they took.
The last crime on this scale was in 2008, when a bronze statue of Sacagawea and her baby was stolen. Parts of the statue were recovered by a metal salvaging company in Bend. A new statue was created and replaced the old one.
The thief, Mark Bologna of Astoria, was apprehended and sentenced to 50 days in jail and two years probation.
