A statue of a soldier stolen from an eastern Minnesota store on the Fourth of July is back in its rightful place Saturday, and one of the alleged thieves is in custody.

The owners of Rush Point Store posted video of the theft on social media. The statue, known as Handsome Gene in honor of the previous owner, is "the great protector of the Rush Point Store," the owner said on social media.

"These boys have absolutely no respect for personal property or our US Military," the owner said of the thieves. "What an absolute disgrace."

On Saturday afternoon, the Chisago County Sheriff's Office said the statue had been returned and one of the three suspected thieves was arrested. The sheriff's office said it has identified the other two suspects and impounded the vehicle used in the theft.

"A tremendous thank you to everyone who took the time out of their day to help bring closure to this incident," the sheriff's office said. "And a huge thank you to our veterans, we all know freedom certainly isn't free and we couldn't be more grateful to be defending it alongside you."

The Rush Point Store is in Stanchfield, Minnesota, about an hour north of Minneapolis.

• Chisago County