Missing statue of UC Berkeley coach found in pieces

The statue of late Cal crew coach Carroll Ebright disappeared overnight Jan. 12. The statue of late Cal crew coach Carroll Ebright disappeared overnight Jan. 12. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Missing statue of UC Berkeley coach found in pieces 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A missing UC Berkeley statue valued at $80,000 was found in pieces in San Leandro on Saturday night, with the statue’s dismembered head and feet discovered at the bottom of a pit in a local man’s backyard, police said.

Officers arrested Dean Gamaza, 46, of San Leandro on suspicion of possession of stolen property and violation of probation after finding the 300-pound sculpture at his home, San Leandro Police Lt. Robert McManus said.

The bronze statue was stolen from the California Rowing Club at 2999 Glascock St. in Oakland sometime between 11 p.m. Jan. 12 and 7 a.m. Jan. 13, officials said. The statue was returned to UC Berkeley on Tuesday.

San Leandro Police recovered the statue around 10 p.m. Saturday after officers spotted part of the structure in the bed of a pickup truck parked at a storage facility in the 1100 block of Davis Street, McManus said.

Officers recognized the statue, and also noted it was found adjacent to the home of Gamaza, who authorities could search as a part of his probation.

Police went to the house and found a 3-foot wide pit in the backyard, with the statue’s head and feet inside.

Cal alumni donations funded the sculpture, a life-size depiction of late Cal crew coach Carroll Ebright, who led teams to three Olympic gold medals, officials said.

Gamaza’s motives were not known, but it is possible he was trying to take the statue apart to sell as scrap metal, McManus said.

Staff writer Kimberly Veklerov contributed to this report.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno