Staff report

NILES — The Austintown man who stole a wolf statue out of a Niles resident’s yard was sentenced to seven days in jail and given a $500 fine, along with one year of probation.

Robert Scott, 55, of Darbyshire Court, pleaded guilty to the theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, before Judge Christopher J. Shaker in Niles Municipal Court on April 18. He was released on Monday.

On March 26, a woman reported to Niles police that the day before, a man drove his silver or gold truck up to her home on Summit Avenue, took the statue and drove away. The woman’s home security camera captured footage that she gave to police.

Niles police shared the video on social media and identified the man as Scott with the help of community tips, detective work and the city’s Flock cameras, according to a statement. Scott was arrested on April 3 and police returned the concrete statue to its owners.

Along with his fine, jail time and probation, Scott will not be allowed to make contact with the statue’s owners.

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