The Detroit Police Department is investigating the apparent theft of a recently-installed statue in Rouge Park honoring the late Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson, who flew missions in WWII as a Tuskegee Airman, survived being a Japanese prisoner of war and returned home to become a beloved school teacher.

The life-size statue was unveiled in early June in Rouge Park, near Joy and Spinoza, where Jefferson flew model airplanes as a child. Residents reported seeing the statue in its proper place on Tuesday, and the first report of it being missing was made Wednesday evening. At this point, investigators believe the statue was removed during the overnight hours between Tuesday and Wednesday.