Seventeen signs honoring Martin Luther King were stolen on January 22nd in Ashton Park in Traverse City. Public schools in the area set up a series of “StoryWalk” installations illuminated by lights on Saturday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. During the weekend, as MLK day approached, the 17 signs that made up the entirety of the installation were stolen.

The missing signs at Ashton Park depicted the pages from the book, “I Am Every Good Thing” by Derrick Barnes. The other, StoryWalks, depicted pages from the books “I Have a Dream” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, “The Last Stop on Market Street’’ by Matt de la Peña, and “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry.

TCAPS Communications Director Ginger Smith said in a text message that it’s “impossible to know” the reasons someone took the signs. “It could have been related to a number of reasons, the other stories were not touched.”

Traverse City Police Captain, Keith Gillis, said the signs likely were stolen between 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. on Sunday. The police department is currently looking for leads and does not have any suspects. The individuals found responsible for the theft could be charged with larceny of property, Gillis said.