Surveillance photos show man who stole Maris awards from Fargo museum

Newly released surveillance photos show that the person who broke into the Roger Maris Museum in a Fargo mall and stole valuable memorabilia was wearing law enforcement-style clothing and had his face concealed while clutching the items.

The thief broke a window early Tuesday and took a plaque honoring Maris as the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1960 and the S. Rae Hickok belt, an award valued at thousands of dollars that was given to the slugger in 1961 as the country's top athlete that year for breaking Major League Baseball's single-season home run record.

The burglar fled in a waiting vehicle, officials of the West Acres Mall said. The incident occurred within a matter of minutes, and it's not clear whether the thief targeted the belt and the plaque, said mall property manager Chris Heaton.

The Hickok award is made of an alligator-skin belt with a solid gold buckle, an encrusted 4-carat diamond and 26 gem chips. A website on the belt estimates it is worth $90,000 to $140,000, but it was unclear whether the jewels remained on it while it was displayed at the museum.

The museum includes items from the baseball great's years growing up in Fargo (Maris was born in Hibbing, Minn.) and from his career in the major leagues, including his two MVP awards, a Gold Glove for fielding excellence and his Sultan of Swat crown for his slugging prowess. Many of the items are on loan from the Maris family.

Maris died of cancer in 1985 at 51 and is buried in Fargo.

Another recipient of the Hickok award, Los Angeles Dodgers base-stealing great Maury Wills, had the belt he was awarded in 1962 stolen 35 years ago. It has never been recovered.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482