$50, Reese's Pieces offered for return of E.T. lookalike

Winter visitors William and Lorri Miller want those responsible for stealing their E.T. statue to “phone home” on their alien's behalf.

“I would like to get it back,” William said.

“No questions asked,” Lorri added. “E.T., come home.”

William, a World War II Navy veteran who winters in the Yuma Foothills with his wife, Lorri, every year, discovered the E.T. floating in the Pacific Ocean surf near Crescent City, Calif., more than 20 years ago.

Genevieve Miller, his late wife, waded out into the waves to retrieve the 25-pound fir tree log that bears a striking resemblance to E.T., the alien featured in Steven Spielberg's classic 1982 film “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.”

One quote from the movie that shares William's sentiment is “I found him, he belongs to me!”

This year, William had not yet placed E.T. in his yard as he does every winter due to health reasons. The statue was in storage when it went missing.

“It was in the back end of the garage, so it had to be someone who knew where it was,” William said.

The couple is offering a $50 reward for the safe return of the statue, along with a large bag of Reese's Pieces in the spirit of the movie.

The Millers encourage anyone with any information about the whereabouts of their E.T. statue to call them at 305-1667 weekdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and during daylight hours on weekends.