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Railing worth up to $20,000 stolen from City Hall

Authorities describe the suspect as a white male with facial hair who was wearing dark clothing at the time the railing was stolen.

There were once almost 150 small lion heads on the ornate bronze spiked railing that surrounds City Hall. They, like most of the statuary on the building - including the big one of William Penn - were designed by Alexander Milne Calder.
There were once almost 150 small lion heads on the ornate bronze spiked railing that surrounds City Hall. They, like most of the statuary on the building - including the big one of William Penn - were designed by Alexander Milne Calder.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

Philadelphia police are searching for a suspect who authorities say stole a section of an antique railing from outside City Hall last week.

The theft occurred at about 6:25 a.m. Thursday, according to the Police Department. Surveillance footage shows a man taking a portion of a brass railing on the southeast side of City Hall and walking off with it in a red shopping cart.

The pilfered railing has an estimated worth of $15,000 to $20,000, police said.

Authorities describe the suspect as a man with facial hair who was wearing dark clothing at the time the railing was stolen.

In 2016, a thief committed a similar crime nearby. In that incident, the perpetrator removed a brass handrail from a curved staircase at the Union League of Philadelphia and damaged a stone balustrade in the process. The Union League suffered an estimated $100,000 in damage as a result of the theft.

Anyone with information about the theft at City Hall can contact the Central Detectives Division at 215-686-3093. Tips can also be submitted via call or text to 215-686-TIPS.