Vandals set fire to a life-size statue of Ronald Reagan at a Southern California sports park that bears the name of the 40th president, authorities reported Monday.
The bronze statue stands at the Ronald Reagan Sports Park in Temecula, Calif., the very same site praised by Reagan in the 1980s as a solid example of what volunteerism and fundraising can accomplish — rather than government regulation and taxpayer dollars.
The statue portrays the president wearing casual clothing and holding a cowboy hat in one hand and a shovel in the other hand.
“It’s an insult to the president as well as to the community,” said Perry Peters, the founder of the Friends of Ronald Reagan Sports Park nonprofit, in a Fox News report.
Police are still seeking a suspect.
The nonprofit is accepting donations for repair work. The statue is blackened, and tiles on the decorative wall that serves as backdrop were destroyed.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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