Lorax Statue Stolen From Geisel’s La Jolla Garden

A 2-foot bronze statue of Dr. Seuss’ Lorax character was stolen from the backyard of Audrey Geisel’s La Jolla hillside mansion over the weekend.

Property manager Carl Romero said he and Geisel, widow of children’s book author Theodore Geisel, discovered the loss Monday morning as they were walking through the garden.

“It’s a valuable piece because there are only two of them, and it’s an iconic figure,” Romero said Tuesday.

He said he last noticed the sculpture in the yard late Saturday afternoon. On Monday, he saw footprints in the garden indicating that thieves dragged the 300-pound statue and base to an access road and lifted it over a chain-link fence. He notified San Diego police of the theft.

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