VIDALIA — If thieves have to answer to God for their sticky fingers, one thief in the Vidalia area has much for which to answer. An antique statue of the Virgin Mary was stolen at Dora’s Storage and Natchez-Vidalia Junk Genies late Monday night or sometime Tuesday morning.

Dora’s manager and Junk Genies owner Susan Ryan said the 100-year-old statue — which shows the saint in a traditional depiction of arms spread wide and wearing a blue veil — was first noticed missing at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Ryan said the statue, which was kept in a sitting area along with a second statue of St. Francis of Assisi, was last known to be at the store at 9:30 p.m. Monday night. The St. Francis statue was untouched, and has since been moved to a more secure location.

Whoever took the statue must have driven to make the theft, Ryan said, because the statue — which a family member had purchased a long time ago — weighed nearly 100 pounds.

“I just got her about two days ago,” she said. “She was beautiful.”

Ryan said she is offering a reward for information that results in the return of the statue.

Those with information should call 601-888-0888, she said.