MIAMI LAKES, Fla. — The statue of 5-year-old Jake “Jakey” Duque recently vanished.
Jakey’s grieving parents, Karen and Orlando Duque, were pleading on Saturday that it be returned to the Jakey Duque Park in Miami Lakes.
“It’s priceless to us,” Karen Duque said about the sculpture crafted by Art & Sculpture Unlimited.
Jakey was 4 years old when he was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, a rare and highly aggressive brain tumor Oct. 11, 2019.
Jakey died on June 8, 2020. City officials unveiled the tribute, as part of a community effort, on May 8, 2021, at Northwest 154th Street and 89 Avenue.
“It means a lot to the community,” Orlando Duque said. “It means a lot to us, and we just would like it back ... If they want to come dead of night like they took it and drop it off that’s fine.”
Karen Duque said they don’t want to press any charges.
“We just want for it to be returned,” she said.
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