A 46-year-old man has been arrested and a bronze maple leaf stolen from an RCMP memorial in Moncton, N.B., has been recovered, according to police. Members of Codiac Regional RCMP had received information suggesting a man could be in possession of the stolen leaf on Sunday. The next day, officers arrested him at a business on Edinburgh Drive in Moncton. “Investigators had obtained evidence indicating that the man was in possession of the stolen bronze maple leaf,” reads an RCMP news release on Tuesday. They then executed a search warrant at a residence on Church Street, where they reportedly recovered the slightly damaged missing leaf. “The recovered bronze maple leaf was found... and will be returned to its rightful place at the monument,” RCMP say. The monument was built in honour of three Mounties shot and killed on June 4, 2014: constables Fabrice Gevaudan, Dave Ross and Doug Larche. Nadine Larche was visiting the statue of her late husband on Aug. 12, when she noticed one of the 12 bronze decorative leaves was missing. RCMP received a report of vandalism at the memorial that morning. After the theft, Larche was optimistic the leaf would be found. But she says as time went on she began to lose hope. She was at home on Monday when she got a text from a member of Codiac Regional RCMP asking if some officers could stop by. “I was feeling a little bit that there was something good going on,” she says. “My daughter and I opened the door and six members were standing outside my door with the maple leaf in their hands and the biggest smiles on their faces,” Larche says. “I’m not sure who was happier, us or them. It was super special.” Larche says it’s great the leaf is being returned to the monument and appreciates that the officers took the time to present it at her door. “They knew how special it was to me and it’s special to the entire community,” she says. “People put their thumbprints on there to be part of it, to honour the guys, to show their respect, to honour their sacrifice.” Cpl. Luc Picard of the Codiac Regional RCMP say they’re relieved the leaf has been recovered. “This outcome is the result of information received from the public and the dedicated work of our investigators,” he says. “This memorial holds tremendous significance for the Codiac Regional RCMP and the citizens of Moncton,” said Insp. Jonathan White from the Codiac Regional RCMP at the time. The leaves, roughly 60 centimeters by 60 centimetres, were created by members of the community to show support after the shootings. Moncton Mayor Shawn Crossman says he was delighted to hear the bronze leaf was recovered. “This is the best possible outcome we could have hoped for,” he writes in a statement to CTV News. “While the City was working with the original artist on a new leaf to take the place of the one that had been stolen, each leaf is unique and irreplaceable as they bear the thumbprints of Moncton residents,” he adds. The city is now looking into how and when the leaf can be re-installed to the Honour Garden monument. With files from CTV News Atlantic’s Derek Haggett For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
