GUILDERLAND — A second "pignapping" in Guilderland has led to increased police presence and changed the town’s tone from pig-laden innuendo, to a downright serious investigation.

Liberty, the Pine Bush Elementary School’s pig, was ripped out of its pen in front of the principal’s office on Saturday, between 5 and 5:30 p.m., and found in the wooded area behind the school around 7 p.m. on Monday evening.

The only clues left behind were three pig prints where masonry glue held Liberty to cement in the ground.
The fiberglass pig statue is one of 28 across town, part of the Chamber of Commerce "Pigtacular," launched in June with a "Pignic" in Altamont’s park and concludes with a "Hogtoberfest," where the pigs will be auctioned for charity.
"We have certainly stepped up patrols in the areas where pigs are placed," said Guilderland’s deputy police chief, Carol Lawlor. "We have a couple of ideas of those involved, but it’s still under investigation."
"This is vandalism," said Jane Schramm the Guilderland Chamber of Commerce’s executive director. "Having one pig stolen was bad, but having another one cut down and stolen — that’s serious."

Last week the Town Center Plaza’s Bruce Pigsteen was stolen and anonymously returned with minor scrapes. Pigsteen still has not returned to its pen along Western Avenue.
"We are just happy to have Liberty back," said Pine Bush’s principal, Martha Beck. "We applaud the efforts of the media and the police departments for all of their time."

Pine Bush Elementary was not intending to auction off Liberty, but instead wants to keep it at the school as an unofficial mascot, according the school’s PTA president Maureen Iuorno, who spoke to The Enterprise Monday before the pig was returned.
"We were planning on keeping him. Our art teacher and students became very attached to Liberty," said Iuorno. "That was going to be his permanent placement in front of the principal’s office."

Liberty is decorated with endangered Karner blue butterflies, the school’s mascot, voted on by the children, and a native of the pine barren near the school. Apples and apple blossoms also decorate the pig, in homage to the schoolyard orchard planted by the students.

Beck told The Enterprise that the school doesn’t care about pressing charges right now, but only wanted Liberty to come home.
"We were mostly interested in getting Liberty back for the children," said Beck. "The children didn’t get to see him finished during the last week of school and we were looking forward to having Liberty for the children’s first day back."

Piggy prank or Larded Larceny"

Cutting down the pigs or damaging them during theft could change the crime from a simple petit larceny offense, which is a misdemeanor, to criminal mischief and criminal trespassing charges, which could be felony offenses, said Lawlor.

The Guilderland Police Department currently has officers investigating Liberty’s disappearance and return.

Liberty was found when a woman drove by a construction area on Coons Road in the rear of the school and saw the pig behind a pile of gravel. Beck says Liberty was not there the night before and believes it was left there to be anonymously returned to the school.

One Guilderland woman says she and her 12-year-old daughter may have witnessed the Pine Bush pignapping. The Enterprise is withholding her name because she was concerned about retaliation from the vandals.
"My daughter noticed a car with its trunk open," she said. "There were two teenaged boys there; they didn’t look suspicious"About 15 minutes later, the pig was gone."

She did not get a license plate number, but described the car as either a black sedan Ford Taurus or Sable.
"It was my daughter who was really suspicious of the whole thing," she continued. "When I drove by, the pig was definitely there. But when I drove back again, it was gone."

The Guilderland woman also told The Enterprise that her younger daughter, who attends Pine Bush Elementary, was playing at a nearby house, when she noticed a black car drive by with "something that was covered up hanging out of the back."

Principal Beck also said a family that was playing nearby noticed a group of either teenaged or college-aged kids hanging around the pig shortly before it disappeared.

Some business owners are starting to protect their pigs, according to Schramm, who described the fiberglass pigs as a financial investment; each one, before being decorated cost $500.
"If need be, owners may have to put them inside, which is unfortunate," said Schramm. "They will still be on display for the public"but, understandably, more of them are bringing them inside."
"Here for the children"

Liberty got its name from a school-wide vote from both staff and students.

The money to purchase the pig was raised by a bake sale and a dollar for dollar match by the school’s PTA.
After its purchase, art teacher Christine Monlea spent long hours preparing Liberty for the "pignic" and for the Pine Bush school.
"Don’t forget, we have kindergarten through sixth grade, and they really wanted to see that pig when they came back," said Iuorno. "One of the students said it was sad that, while they were eating lunch, their art teacher was painting Liberty and didn’t get to eat her lunch. She worked on it for months."

As for Liberty’s recovery, only minor damage to its hooves and head occurred, according to Beck.
"There is some damage, which is unfortunate, but at least it will be here for the children when they come back," Beck said.

Beck told The Enterprise that discussions are now taking place on where Liberty will be penned. At first, said Beck, Liberty will be in the front lobby of the school and "different alternatives" will be discussed.
"We may just bring Liberty inside every night," said Beck.