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Posted on 09/16/2010 11:45:13 AM PDT by a fool in paradise
If you hoped to get your hands on some of the garden gnomes at the City of Gillette auction on Thursday, you’re out of luck.
The little guys will be hanging around the Gillette Police Department a while longer.
More than 100 garden gnomes that were supposed to be sold at the city auction were pulled from the auction block after Gillette police got reports that the gnome nabbing may have been more expansive than just northeastern Wyoming.
Three teenage girls confessed to stealing 143 gnomes from lawns in Gillette and Campbell County in May after Sundance police caught them in the act with the gnomes.
More than 100 lawn ornaments were not claimed by their owners and so they were supposed to be auctioned Thursday along with other unneeded city property.
But that changed following a call from the Arvada, Colo., Police Department.
The City of Gillette received several inquiries after a News-Record article about the gnomes being sold at auction was picked up by newspapers across the country. Most were from gnome enthusiasts that wanted to bid on them because, evidently, gnomes are a hot item.
But one of those responses was from the Arvada Police Department in Colorado, which also had reports of gnomes going missing earlier this year.
“The suspects here had been in that area, so now they want to make sure we don’t have their property,” said Joe Lunne, city spokesman. “So for the moment, the gnomes are off the (auction) block.”
The Police Department will continue to hold the gnomes in evidence until it can be sorted out.
Photographs of the gnomes now will be sent to the Aurora Police Department for possible identification by owners in the Aurora area. It’s unclear whether the teenagers will face charges in Colorado, Gillette police Detective Becky Elger said.
So what is next for the homeless gnomes?
“I don’t think we have a plan at this moment,” Lunne said. “We are kind of in wait-and-see-mode to see how many, if any, are from Colorado.”
The city most likely will not have a special auction just for the gnomes later this year, Lunne said. Thursday’s auction is the second for the city this year and it usually only has one.
The decision on what to do with the gnomes will most likely be up to Noland Peacock, the Gillette Police Department’s evidence technician. He could decide to do something with the gnomes if he needs the room for evidence, but he also could decide to wait, Lunne said.
o/~ Oh the sugn shignes bright on my old Kegntucky gnome....
o/~ Gnome, gnome on the range... o/~
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gnobody gnomes the trouble i’ve seegn...
AHHHH!!! PLAGERIZER!!!
I failed.
Death.
;0)
Clowns, garden gnomes, who cares? I have statues of a bunny, a giant frog, and some huge mushrooms in my garden. Gnomes? [shudder]
Gnome Chompsky just called. He said he’s gonna hang out in your yard...
Good. I need a little target practice. Thanks!
What a tragedy...
*steals_paulycy’s_wallet*
*rimshot*
Then the joke's on you!
In her youth, my dog would try to chase garden gnomes. She was always irritated when they didn’t run.
[chortle at mental picture] Cute baby antics.
We're slipping
I’ve been accused of being a leprechaun or similar wee folk.
The thought that I could have been stolen by a bunch of girils..
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