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In a move to protect its cultural artifacts, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians announced today that a recent theft has prompted the tribal government to adopt a more aggressive policy on the prosecution of such thefts.
According to reports by the tribe's reservation patrol, someone in May or June entered a part of the Morongo reservation normally located behind two locked gates and stole a large granite boulder -- somewhere between 500-800 pounds -- with a bedrock mortar or Indian "grinding hole" in it. The culprit(s) used heavy equipment such as a skiploader, backhoe or bobcat to forcibly remove this artifact. Another large boulder with a bedrock mortar was also moved about 80 feet in an apparent attempt to steal it as well.
"Morongo will no longer take a passive approach to thefts like these," said Morongo tribal chairman Robert Martin. "We have notified federal authorities who are working with the reservation patrol on this case. The tribe will pursue prosecution and the tribe is also issuing a $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the theft."
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