A man allegedly involved in the theft of part of the Love Locket in front of Downtown Container Park has been indicted.
Part of the sculpture was stolen shortly after midnight on Jan. 21. A surveillance camera caught three men participating in the theft and the video was distributed to local media.
According to court documents, a tipster called police shortly after the video was aired and told police that one of the men on video was 42-year-old Kelly Alwood, who was visiting from Indiana to attend the annual Shot Show. The tipster also told police that Alwood had reportedly posted photographs of the stolen item on Facebook and was bragging about the crime.
While detectives could not find the photos of Alwood with the Love Locket on his Facebook page, they did spot a photo of Alwood with a uniformed Las Vegas police officer.
Alwood met the officer for dinner and a ride along the day after the theft. The police officer told detectives that he had been friends with Alwood for several years. The officer also told detectives that Alwood had shown the officer a photograph of himself standing in front of the sculpture with locks he had removed.
The police officer told detectives that Alwood was a talented lockpick. The police officer also revealed that he had asked Alwood about the theft, but Alwood did not admit to stealing anything.
The court documents also revealed that Alwood attempted to stop the tipster from talking to police. Alwood's girlfriend, Michelle Reece, told the tipster that she was with Alwood on the night that part of the locket was stolen. After the tipster confronted the woman about the theft, Reece left a voicemail message for the tipster, warning her not to call the police or "Kelly would set something in motion."
Soon after the tipster came forward with the information, an investigation was launched against by Child Protective Services based on a tip they received from Alwood.
When police contacted Alwood about the incident, he denied involvement. However, he did say that he knew who actually took part of the popular sculpture.
Detectives working the case told Alwood that all charges would be dropped if he returned the stolen piece. Alwood allegedly responded by asking for a "letter of pardon." The stolen piece has never been returned.
An arrest warrant was issued on Feb. 25. Alwood made an appearance in court in March. He was then indicted by a grand jury on May 25. It is not known if the other two men who were involved have been identified or are facing any charges.
The Love Locket was created by artist Noval May for the 2013 Life is Beautiful Festival. The piece was created to hold metal love notes, where are written and attached by locks to the piece.
