Carved from a white cedar log and standing 5-feet tall, the mythical half-lion and half-bird statue has guarded the Crownsville house of Malcolm Doying and his wife Patricia Shema for nearly two decades.

The griffin has fought off at least three failed robbery attempts over the years, once suffering a broken wing and another time a severed arm, but the 250-pound creature was finally ripped from its base by several thieves last week and loaded into the back of an SUV in the middle of the night.

“People have been trying to get it for years. He’s been a point of interest,” Shema, 62, said Monday.“They haven’t been able to snag him, only break a few pieces off.”

But Doying, 66, said he awoke to a loud sound about midnight Wednesday, peered out the window, and saw three young men piling into a light-colored SUV.

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By the time Doying ran down the stairs and outside onto the quiet, dead-end street of Deer Run Lane, the thieves had made their escape.

The griffin was gone.

“All that was left is a paw and a piece of his walking stick,” Shema said Monday, adding that the griffin was fastened to its base by sturdy metal plates.

Anne Arundel police responded to the robbery Wednesday and took a report for the stolen statue, worth about $2,500, according to Doying.

Police have no suspects at this time, but Doying said they were likely teenagers pulling a prank.

“He’s pretty recognizable, I’m hoping their parents will see it and say what do you have there,” Doying said.

The griffin, which has a three-foot wingspan, has served as a recognizable landmark in the community since Doying and Shema bought it 18 years ago from a wood carving group at the Renaissance Festival.

The artist, Scott Crocker, has returned for the festival each summer and conducted minor repairs to keep the griffin in good condition, Shema said.

“It’s such an unusual piece that people stop to take pictures of it,” Shema said.

“And for something that’s made out of wood to last 18 years is remarkable.”

Doying said he doesn’t have much hope that the griffin will be returned, but he’s consoled by the idea that the thieves could be in for an unpleasant surprise.

The inside of the wooden statue has been home to hundreds of insects for many years, Doying said.

“We’re just hoping their car is full of ants,” he said.

Anyone with information about the griffin’s whereabouts is asked to call 410-721-7610.

cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com