St. Paul mother and son charged after stolen Suni Lee statue recovered

A mother and son are facing felony charges after police recovered a stolen bronze bust of Olympic gold medalist Suni Lee during a response to a shots fired call in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Dashawn Tyree Caradine, 22, and Tamica Nicole Bazinet, 44, have each been charged with one felony count of receiving stolen property valued at $5,000 or more. The statue had been reported stolen from Phalen Regional Park in July 2025.

Officers discovered the sculpture in a bedroom closet at a residence on the 900 block of Forest Street while investigating reports of gunfire. During the search, police also recovered a handgun with an extended magazine and various types of ammunition. While no injuries were reported from the shooting, the investigation into the gunfire remains ongoing.

According to criminal complaints, Caradine admitted the statue had been in the unit for approximately one month. Bazinet reportedly told investigators she found the bust “in some bushes down the street” and brought it home, claiming she did not know who to contact to return it after seeing online reports that it was stolen.