'CODA' Star Troy Kotsur's Oscar Was Stolen With His Jeep & He Said A 'Little Kid' Took It
It's the first acting Oscar awarded to a deaf man.
Troy Kotsur in front of a 'CODA' sign. Right: Troy Kotsur with his Oscar at the Academy Awards.
Oscar-winning CODA actor Troy Kotsur had a rough weekend in his hometown of Mesa, Arizona, where police say his Jeep was stolen with his Academy Award inside.
Kotsur, 54, was visiting the city when the incident happened on Saturday, according to Mesa police.
"Once Mr. Kotsur notified the department of the theft, officers began their investigation and through investigative techniques, they located the vehicle with two juvenile male suspects inside," police said in a statement to NBC News.
They added that everything was still inside the Jeep, so Kotsur ended up getting his Oscar back after the ordeal.
"A little kid stole my Jeep while I have Oscar award in my Jeep," Kotsur wrote in a tweet that has since been deleted, per TODAY. "The city of Mesa, Az found my Jeep and Oscar award too! Thanks!"
Police say two underage suspects were arrested and charged with "theft of means of transportation" in the case. Their names were not released because they are under the age of 18.
It's not the first time an Oscar has gone missing, but this one is particularly historic because it was the first Academy Award for acting ever handed out to a deaf man.
Kotsur, who plays a deaf fisherman in CODA, dedicated his best supporting actor win to the deaf community and the disabled community in his acceptance speech.
"This is our moment," he signed at the Oscars, per a transcript from the Los Angeles Times.
Kotsur was given the key to the city of Mesa at a ceremony before the Jeep was stolen.