A 6-foot statue was taken, so these Florida deputies went on a search for Jesus

Dressed in a brilliant red robe, Jesus once kept watch over this Florida street — but then he went missing, sending deputies on a search.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, a homeowner on Terrace Drive South reported that his 6-foot statue was taken from his driveway Wednesday morning. The man had reportedly placed the fading statue at the street while waiting for a restoration company to come give it a fresh coat.

While Jesus was definitely missing, the sheriff's office initially said it may not have been an intentional crime. Deputies acknowledged that the statue may have been picked up by someone who assumed it was set to the curb to be given away.

"Now, either someone stole Jesus, or someone thought Jesus was there for the taking. ... Regardless of the reason, this Eagle Lake resident wants his Jesus back," the sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.

It turned out that deputies were correct. The statue was located a few hours after the initial announcement. The sheriff's office said a junk dealer grabbed the item because they thought it was trash and the Jesus statue will be returned to the owner.

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 6:01 PM.