NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — As construction for a new dinosaur exhibit in New Port Richey was set to begin on Tuesday, someone stole a small dinosaur from one of its displays.
A curator for the Museum of Archeology, Paleontology and Science was in charge of designing the Dinos & Dragons Exhibit but when he arrived at a school to begin construction, he noticed the missing dinosaur, a spokesperson for the exhibit said.
New Port Richey police officers were contacted and they are reportedly searching surrounding neighborhoods in hopes to find the dinosaur. The stolen prop is valued at about $6,000 and a person could be charged with a felony.
According to Dinos & Dragons Exhibit, the dinosaur weighs about 60 to 80 pounds and is 4 feet tall and 8 feet long.
"The person or people who took it cut the straps that were holding the dinosaur in place," a Dinos & Dragons Exhibit spokesperson said. "The museum would very much like to get the baby Velociraptor back for the upcoming exhibit."
The exhibit is scheduled to run from Dec. 9 to Feb. 26 at the Harry Schwettman Education Center near Downtown New Port Richey.
Anyone with information regarding the stolen dinosaur is asked to contact the New Port Richey Police Department.