City police are investigating how a statue of what appeared to be a woman in a burqa and holding a rifle ended up in the bushes next to a gas station on Route 130.
In a statement posted to their Facebook page this weekend, police said they were alerted to the statue’s presence by a city resident who found out about it after seeing a video on social media.
A report from the Burlington County Times described the statue as appearing to be that of a woman dressed in a burqa, the outer garment worn by some Muslim women, and holding an assault rifle. Police said the rifle was painted on the statue.
Officers then went to the location, the Gulf Station at the corner of Route 130 and High Street, and removed the statue, according to the police statement.
Police stated that they then spoke to owner of the station, who told them no one from the business knew anything about the statue or how it got there. The police statement on Facebook was accompanied by a photo of police personnel shaking hands and posing with the station’s managers.
“In such a diverse community like the City of Burlington, we must ensure that all people are treated with dignity and not ‘stereotyped,’” the statement went on to say.
Anyone with information about this incident can call Detective Matthew Mercuri at (609) 386-0262 Ext. 273 or leave a confidential tip at www.burlingtonpolicenj.com.