WICHITA, Kan. — The Wichita Police Department held a news conference Thursday to announce the retrieval of Louie the Clown, mascot of the now-closed Joyland Amusement Park.
Louie disappeared from the Joyland property in 2005 or 2006.
Damian Mayes, 39, is serving a prison sentence for a 2010 conviction for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and aggravated criminal sodomy. Mayes used to build and repair organs at the park. Louie the Clown was renowned for playing the organ for Joyland guests until the park closed in 2004.
Police say that because the approximately 50-year-old clown is worth $10,000, the theft is considered a felony.
