Man suspected of toppling sculpture at the Tolerance Education Center pleads guilty to attempted grand theft
A 46-year-old Thousand Palms man arrested in connection with a Holocaust survivor sculpture being toppled at the Tolerance Education Center in Rancho Mirage pleaded guilty to attempted grand theft.
Caleb William Wilcox was arrested on Nov. 24 in connection with the incident. He remained in custody at the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio on $100,000 bail.
Wilcox was arraigned Wednesday at the Larson Justice Center, where he immediately pled guilty.
He was sentenced to the mid-term, which was one year in county jail. According to the DA's Office, half of that time will be served in mandatory supervision, out of custody, with a stipulation that he stay at least 100 yards away from the Tolerance Education Center.
The arrest happened nearly a week after a vehicle was caught on camera forcing down a sculpture dedicated to Holocaust survivors outside of the center.
The bronze sculpture depicts the center's founder Earl Greif which sheds light on the experience of Holocaust survivors. Greif was a Holocaust survivor himself, escaping from a concentration camp.
News Channel 3's Tatum Larsen spoke with officials from the Tolerance Education Center about the crime on Tuesday.
Stay with News Channel 3 for any new developments.
