OAKLAND, CA– Police in California are investigating the theft of more than 1,000 items from the museum’s collection, including metal jewelry, Native American baskets and everyday items like sports trophies that tell the story of the Golden State.
The burglary occurred in the early morning hours of Oct. 15 at the Oakland Museum’s off-site storage facility in California, Oakland police said in a news release Wednesday.
The investigation has become public because artifacts may turn up at flea markets, antique stores or pawn shops, museum director Lori Fogarty said Thursday.
“They are not just a loss to the museum,” she said. “They are a loss to the public and our community and we hope our community will help us bring them home.”
Fogarty said it appears to be a crime of opportunity, not targeted art theft.
“We believe the thieves found a way into the building, took what they could easily find, snatched it and took it out of the building,” she said.
Stolen items include neckpieces by the late artist and metalsmith Florence Resnikoff, a pair of walrus tusks and Native American baskets. But she said many of them were historical memorabilia from the 20th century such as campaign pins and sports trophies.
The mission of the Oakland Museum of California is to document California’s art, history, and natural environment, and its collection includes works by California artists from the late 18th century to the present, as well as artifacts, photographs, natural specimens, and sound recordings. The museum has mounted displays dedicated to the Black Power movement and student activism.
John Romero, a retired Los Angeles Police Department captain who led the department’s commercial crimes unit. He told the Los Angeles Times That the items may have already been sold since the burglary occurred two weeks ago. Investigators are expected to search resale platforms such as Craigslist and Ebay, and networks that specialize in historical or collectible antiques.
“These people are interested in getting quick cash, not the full appraisal value,” he told the Times. “They need to get rid of him quickly.”
In January 2013, an Oakland man broke into the same museum and escaped with a California Gold Rush-era jewelry box. Fogarty said the item was returned to a pawn shop with the public’s help, and she hopes the community can help again.
The Oakland Police Department declined to provide further details, but said in its press release that police are working with an FBI unit that specializes in art crimes, including theft, forgery or antiquities, and trafficking in cultural property.
The robbery occurred four days before the robbers escaped Napoleon’s priceless jewels From the most visited museum in the world, The Louvrein broad daylight. The authorities have He made arrests But the gems were not recovered.
Anyone with information is asked to call Oakland Police at (510) 238-3951 or submit a tip to the Art Crime Team connected Or by calling (800) 225-5324.