Man arrested after sword stolen from 130-year-old Joan of Arc statue

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Police in Paris arrested a man after the sword was stolen from a statue of Joan of Arc. The theft happened in the middle of the day and led to a police investigation.

I was so shocked to hear about what happened in Paris back in January 2026! It involved the Joan of Arc statue, the one near the Saint-Augustin church in the 8th arrondissement. Apparently, that statue is really special – it was made in 1895 and is one of only four copies ever created and put on public display. It’s just incredible to think about its history!

Video and witnesses say the man approached the monument, pulled the sword out of the statue with force, and then ran away.

Suspect arrested and sword recovered

Le Parisien reported that French police quickly identified and arrested the suspect after the theft occurred.

According to Karen Taieb, the deputy mayor for heritage, the man was seen aggressively shaking the horse statue before climbing onto it and breaking the sword with his bare hands.

The Joan of Arc statue without its sword.

The sword has been recovered and will be put back on the statue after officials finish any required inspections. Authorities don’t believe the person who took it was working with anyone else or was involved in a bigger plan.

The statue honors Joan of Arc, a famous military leader and national hero from the 1400s. The reason why the sword was taken from the statue is still unknown.

This latest act of vandalism is similar to an incident in November 2025, where an Australian teenager was accused of gluing googly eyes onto a famous sculpture, affectionately known as the ‘Blue Blob,’ which is valued at $136,000 AUD.

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2026-01-04 19:48