Vandals Destroy Central Florida School Statue

Police are looking for two young men who were caught on surveillance video vandalizing a bear statue outside of Kissimmee Elementary School.

News outlets in Orlando are reporting that a school resource officer learned about the destroyed bear statue on Oct. 12. In surveillance video, the men can be seen using equipment in the school's physical education area, then covering their faces with t-shirts and vandalizing the statue. The men kick and hit the statue before taking selfies with it.

Police say the statue has been an icon for the school since it was erected in 2002, and that students take class photos with the bear as a first day of school tradition each fall. School officials say the bear had just been completely restored last year by the school's art teacher and several fifth grade students.

The men appear to be in their late teens or early 20s. Police describe them as white males, but believe one could be Hispanic.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kissimmee police at 407-846-3333, by e-mail at seeitsayit@kissimmee.org or CRIMELINE at 1-800-423-TIPS.