PARMA, Ohio — The Pink Heart of Parma beats again. On Monday, June 9, 2025, the city police arrested two men, aged 20 and 21, for the theft of a legendary flamingo statue from the intersection of Broadway Road and Snow Road. Thanks to the vigilance of detectives and ubiquitous surveillance cameras, the stolen statue, dedicated to a four-year-old girl with non-verbal autism, was recovered unharmed. This incident, the second attack in a year on the city’s beloved symbols, underscores both the strength of the Parma community and its vulnerability to senseless crimes. As the city prepares for its 200th anniversary, the return of the flamingo has become not only a victory of justice but also a reminder of what unites its residents.
Crime in the darkness
The theft occurred overnight from June 5 to 6, when a seven-foot-tall flamingo statue, a gift from Dennis Vasko for his granddaughter Ava, vanished from its pedestal on Broadway Road. Police, arriving at the scene, found only a concrete base with one broken leg of the statue — a silent witness to the brazen crime. “It was like a blow to the very heart of the community,” said Mayor Tim DeGitter in a comment to News 5 Cleveland, recalling that the statue symbolized joy for a child with special needs.
Detectives quickly got to work, reviewing footage from nearby business cameras, including Corleone’s pizzeria and BP gas station. In the video, timestamped 2:45 a.m., a white Ford Escape is seen stopping at the intersection. Two men, whose faces are partially hidden by hoodies, exit the vehicle, remove the statue from its pedestal, and shove it into the trunk. “It was bold, but not very smart,” noted Parma Police Lieutenant Michael Kelly. “Cameras are everywhere, and they knew this was a busy area.”
Using license plate recognition systems, police tracked the owner of the vehicle — a local resident whose 20-year-old son had access to the car. The father, whose name is not disclosed, cooperated with law enforcement, pointing to his son and his 21-year-old friend as likely suspects. On Sunday afternoon, the flamingo was found in the garage of one of the suspects, intact and undamaged. “We are grateful for the community’s swift response and technology,” Kelly said. “It allowed us to return the statue before it was damaged.”
Punishment and parallels
Both young men were charged with theft, classified as a first-degree misdemeanor in Ohio, with possible fines up to $1,000 and jail time up to 180 days. Their names are not released pending trial, but police sources suggest both are college students with no prior criminal record. “It looks like a silly prank gone too far,” speculated an anonymous officer familiar with the investigation.
This case echoes a previous flamingo theft in May 2024, when three men — Taylor Pol Pukevich, Marcus Anthony Balue, and David Ross Burak — vandalized a statue in Anthony Zielencki Park. The culprits, caught on camera, pled guilty to vandalism, receiving 180 days probation, a $500 fine, and 500 hours of community service, including supporting breast cancer-related charities. While severe, these punishments did not deter a new wave of crimes against flamingos, prompting Parma officials to review security measures.
Dennis Vasko, whose gift was targeted, expressed mixed feelings. “I’m glad the flamingo was returned to Ava,” he told WKYC. “But I want these guys to understand that their actions have consequences. Maybe community service at an autism support center will open their eyes.” On X (Twitter), users support his stance: “These guys didn’t just steal a statue, they stole a child’s joy. It’s time for them to make amends,” writes @ParmaNeighbor.
Flamingo as a symbol
The Parma flamingo is more than city decor. It embodies the spirit of a community proud of its history and resilience. Since the 1960s, when plastic flamingos flooded American lawns, Parma adopted them as its mascot, a symbol of kitschy charm and local pride. The statue on Broadway, funded by Vasko for $2,000, became a special gesture for his granddaughter, who, according to him, “finds joy in these pink birds when words are beyond her reach.”
The theft of the statue sparked a wave of solidarity. Local businesses, including Rudy’s Strudel bakery, offered free donuts to anyone providing information to the police. The hashtag #ParmaFlamingo gathered hundreds of posts, ranging from jokes (“Who’s hiding the flamingo in the trunk? That’s not pirate treasure!” — @ClevelandJoker) to calls for action (“Return the flamingo to Ava!” — @OhioMom4Kids).
Mayor DeGitter, who called the theft “a personal insult,” announced plans to install a new surveillance camera above the flamingo, which will be returned to its pedestal by the end of the week. “We won’t let a handful of hooligans overshadow our spirit,” he proclaimed. The city is also accelerating preparations for Parma’s 200th anniversary in 2026, where flamingos will be central to celebrations, with parades, festivals, and even a limited series of souvenir statues.
Broader context
Repeated attacks on Parma’s flamingos reflect a larger problem facing American suburbs: petty crimes that undermine public trust. According to Cleveland police, in 2025, thefts and vandalism in Cuyahoga County increased by 12%, partly due to economic hardships after the pandemic. In Parma, where crime rates are lower than in neighboring Bedford or Garfield Heights, such incidents still cause concern. “It’s not just about the flamingo,” says State Representative Sean Brennan. “It’s about respect for what we build together.”
Some see these thefts as echoes of youth culture, where mischief, fueled by social media, becomes a way to grab attention. “TikTok is full of challenges where people steal strange things,” notes sociologist Laura Green from Cleveland State University. “But when it involves a child or community, the joke stops being funny.”
Looking to the future
The return of the flamingo was a triumph for Parma, but the story is not over. The upcoming trial of the two suspects in July will determine whether they serve as examples for others. Police also plan to collaborate with local schools to conduct educational programs about the consequences of vandalism, hoping to prevent similar incidents.
For Ava and her family, the return of the flamingo is a small victory in a world where joy is often hard to find. “I just want her to smile again, looking at her bird,” Vasko said. In Parma, where pink flamingos stand as symbols of hope, that smile is the best reward for a community that refuses to give up.
