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Several Sculptures Stolen From Damenti’s

BUTLER TOWNSHIP — There’s been another setback for the owner of a restaurant destroyed by a fire in Luzerne County.  The owner of Damenti’s is tryin...

BUTLER TOWNSHIP -- There’s been another setback for the owner of a restaurant destroyed by a fire in Luzerne County.  The owner of Damenti's is trying to rebuild from last year's fire. But now someone has stolen several sculptures worth thousands of dollars.

When Damenti's owner Kevin McDonald isn't busy rebuilding his restaurant near Mountain Top, he likes building sculptures people can interact with. He took cell phone video of a waterworks sculpture shortly after finishing it, and a xylophone that can actually play music. The sculpture weighs almost 300 pounds.

But now police are investigating how those and seven other of McDonald's large metal sculptures were stolen from outside Damenti's restaurant along Route 309.

Photos of some of the art pieces taken show the detail and craftsmanship McDonald put into them.

“Stealing metal is one thing,” McDonald said. “But when the value of the metal is turned into art, you know, why steal it? It's a lousy trick.”

Police believe the thefts happened over several days earlier this month.  It's another blow to the family, whose restaurant was destroyed by a fire last year.

“Getting kicked while I'm down! It's hurts a little bit,” McDonald said.

Some people in Mountain Top are also devastated to hear the sculptures were stolen.

Damenti's has been a local favorite for decades, and people want to see it reopened.

“People take your stuff? It's cruel, it really is,” Bernadette Slusarz of Wright Twp. said.

“It just ticks me off to no end, I just can't stand people taking things, you know, it's not right!" Lou Masterboni  of Drums said.

McDonald believes the thieves sold the pieces for scrap metal.

“They melt them down for 30 cents a pound, and what they do with the money, I hope they choke on it,” he said.

McDonald is still determined to reopen Damenti's next March. He also asks anyone who may see the sculptures to call police.

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