Courts
Suspect in Hatched Baby vandalism gets diversion agreement
One of the three people accused of stealing the Hatched Baby artwork outside La Crosse City Hall may get charges dropped, if he stays out of trouble for a year.
Matthew Reich reached a diversion agreement in court on Monday, pleading no contest to receiving or concealing stolen property.
La Crosse Police believe the three suspects took the Blue face of the 9-foot tall artwork from the south lawn of City Hall last fall, and wrecked tore the face off the head. It was found the next day in someone’s yard on Kings Street, where police retrieved it.
Wolfgang Auer, the German artist who loaned Hatched Baby to the city, says the artwork cannot be repaired, and he has sought restitution in the case. The city told WIZM back in November the piece was valued around $23,000.
The artwork was placed on display in La Crosse in April of 2018. Before that, it had been displayed outside a museum in the Cincinnati area for a year.