Thanks to a tip, Federal Way police found were able to recover the stolen bonsai from the Pacific Bonsai Museum on Wednesday morning.
At around 8:50 a.m. authorities found the bonsai two miles from the museum but it had undergone significant pruning.
Federal Way police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said a man reported that while he was on his third floor balcony, he saw something in the bushes that looked suspicious.
As he investigated, he found the bonsai and knew it had been missing from various media coverage.
“We are so relieved to have this work of art returned. Unfortunately, decades worth of work has been undone in two days. The thieves severely pruned the tree, drastically changing its appearance. The good news is that the tree will survive and hopefully, within years, we will be able to restore it to the work of art that it once was,” said Aarin Packard, the curator at the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
Investigation into who stole the bonsai is ongoing at this time, Schrock added.
“This bonsai belongs not only to Pacific Bonsai Museum but to the community and we are thrilled to be able to continue sharing it with thousands of visitors from around Puget Sound, the United States and the world. Thank you to the media and the public who helped spread the word about its disappearance which undoubtedly helped us find it,” said Kathy McCabe, the executive director of the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
Employees of the museum discovered the bonsai was stolen at 4:20 a.m. Monday, May 18 after the security alarm system was activated. The 60-year-old San Jose Juniper is estimated to be worth thousands of dollars and has been part of the museum since it opened in 1989.
“The Federal Way Police Department is thankful for a community that is informed and aware of their surroundings; and does not hesitate to call police when something looks suspicious,” Schrock wrote in an email. “Through these cooperative relationships we make this community a great place to live and work.”
The Pacific Bonsai Museum, located on the Weyerhaeuser campus in Federal Way is one of the top bonsai collections in the world. Established by the Weyerhaeuser Company in 1989, the museum is now a nonprofit organization, operating on land leased from the Weyerhaeuser company.
