Seattle statue of Hiroshima bombing survivor sawed off and stolen

Seattle's statue of Hiroshima bombing survivor Sadako Sasaki has been stolen, taking away the city's most prominent public monument to a female historical figure.

Why it matters: The statue in Peace Park was the only outdoor artwork honoring a girl or woman that Axios could find in Seattle last year after weeks of research.

Driving the news: The bronze likeness of Sasaki , who lived through the Hiroshima bombing but later died of leukemia at age 12, was cut off at the ankles last week, leaving only the feet behind in the park in Seattle's University District.

• The city's parks department has filed a police report over the theft, spokesperson Christina Hirsch told Axios.

Catch up quick: Since the Sasaki monument was created in 1990 , people have draped the statue with origami paper cranes each year "to show their hope for peace in the world," according to the city's website.

• That's in memory of the more than 1,000 paper cranes Sasaki folded while sick in the hospital, per the National Park Service .

What we're watching: Neighbors have put out calls on social media for the statue's return.