SANTA CLARA – The statue of legendary 49ers quarterback Joe Montana outside Levi’s Stadium was vandalized on Monday night following San Francisco's 27-24 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks, according to authorities.
Jorge Alberto Lopez of Santa Clara was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on a charge of felony vandalism, Santa Clara Police announced in a press release.
According to the report, a security officer at Levi’s Stadium witnessed Lopez grab the facemask of the statue and pull it off. The suspect was arrested at 9:50 p.m. on Monday.
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Early Thursday morning, reporter Bonnie-Jill Laflin received a video of the incident and posted it on her Twitter account.
The 49ers released the following statement on Wednesday:
“The Joe Montana statue that is part of the ‘The Catch’ art installation located inside the stadium’s Gate A plaza was vandalized following our recent Monday Night Football game. Security personnel apprehended the individual soon thereafter and the Santa Clara Police Department arrested the individual on felony vandalism charges. Crews have already begun repairs on the statue and expect work to be complete prior to Sunday’s home game. As this is an ongoing police matter, we will not have any additional comment.”
San Francisco 49ers
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The statue of Montana was dedicated last October and is accompanied by a statue of Dwight Clark making the leaping catch in the 1981 NFC Championship Game that lifted the 49ers to their first Super Bowl. The statue has since been repaired.