Who took the Buddha? Who took the Buddha? (August 26, 2005)

Seascapes' decorative wooden Buddha statues, which had become familiar objects on Castro Street, are no longer a pair after one was stolen last weekend.

One of the "weeping Buddhas" was taken from its post outside the store on Aug. 20 or 21, said Seascapes manager, Patric Andorfer.

"It's really sad because it's a Buddha," Andorfer said. "You'd think there'd be some kind of karma that would come about."

The statues, which weigh 100 to 125 pounds and are valued at $500 each, were gifts from the nearby Global Beads shop and had been in possession of Seascapes for six months. According to Andorfer, they were admired by the community, with visitors not only complimenting them, but using them as seats, and even taking photographs with them.

Andorfer said he left the store at 11 p.m. Saturday night, and when he returned the next morning, one of the statues had been moved and chipped and the other one was missing.

"We've put a lot of time into our store and into the downtown trying to make it family friendly," said Andorfer. "I just feel sad." -- Jenny Baer

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