A life-size statue of five-time major winner Seve Ballesteros, which vanished from his hometown of Pedrena in northern Spain, has been found chopped into pieces as the alleged thief prepared to sell it for its bronze, police said.
Valued at about 30,000 euros (£26,000), the artwork was found in a storage room in Santander, cut in half at the waist.
Although the torso and head were intact, the arms were broken into several pieces.
Police said a 22-year-old man with a criminal record for copper theft was arrested on Thursday, adding that more people could be involved.
The 100kg (220.46lb) statue depicted Ballesteros celebrating his 1984 Open Championship win at St Andrews, in Scotland, where he came from two shots behind going into the final round to deny American Tom Watson a third consecutive triumph.
It had stood in La Barqueria park in the town of Pedrena since 2017 but was torn from its base earlier this month.
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