Model Horse Theft: Collector Aims to Recover 100 Figures Stolen from Rental Car
A man is suspected of distributing the custom figures near Powell’s Books after taking them from a vehicle parked on 10th Avenue.
By Lucas Sheridan ·
Molly Worak is back in Idaho, searching for a collection of approximately 100 custom model horses that vanished from her rental car in Portland. The figures were taken from a paid parking lot off 10th Avenue, located across from Powell’s Books, while Worak attended the Route 66 Model Horse Show in Tigard.
Worak values the collection at an estimated $10,000. She spent 20 years building the set, which features hand-crafted and hand-painted horses customized with individual details. The theft occurred during her first trip to Oregon to participate in the local modeling community.
Witnesses placed a man near Powell’s Books distributing green knit pouches containing the stolen figures. A security guard working in the area told FOX 12 that he recognized the man and confirmed the pouches held Worak’s property. Two employees inside the bookstore also reported seeing the man handing out the horses in their protective pouches.
"So the two employees from inside the store confirmed they saw the man, they saw what he was doing. And he had been taking my model horses in their pouches and distributing them," Worak said.
One of the missing figures had recently won a Best in Show award at the Tigard show. Worak described the loss of that specific model as especially painful because it marked a milestone in her collecting career. The Route 66 show draws a group of enthusiasts who describe their hobby as niche but large, with participants displaying detailed work.
Worak said the uncertainty regarding the current location of the horses is difficult to manage. She worries the figures may be in an alley or a river. "They’re just in the alley or dumped in a river or what’s happening to them. And that’s, I think, the hardest part," she said.
She is asking for the return of the collection. Anyone who received a pouch or sees the horses for sale can contact her at mollyworek97@gmail.com. Worak will pay the shipping costs for returned items. The figures can also be turned in to the Portland Police Bureau under case number T26031871.
