'They grabbed what they could': Days before Louvre heist, thieves looted California museum; more than 1,000 items stolen

Just days before the infamous Louvre robbery in Paris, another theft took place more than 5,000 miles away in California, US, where thieves stole more than 1,000 items.

Police in California are investigating the theft of more than 1,000 items from the Oakland Museum of California’s collection. The stolen material includes metalwork jewelry, Native American baskets and everyday objects such as athletic trophies that reflect California’s history.

Oakland Police said in a statement on Wednesday that the burglary happened early on October 15 at an off-site storage facility used by the museum.


Lori Fogarty, the museum's director, said on Thursday that the museum decided to speak publicly because the stolen objects might appear at flea markets, antique shops or pawn stores.

"The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state's cultural heritage," Lori Fogarty, the museum's executive director, said in a statement released Wednesday, as quoted by the New York Times.

"They’re not just a loss to the museum," she said. "They’re a loss to the public, to our community and we’re hoping our community can help us bring them home."

Fogarty said the burglary appeared to be a chance break-in and not a planned attempt to steal art.

“We think the thieves found a way to enter the building, and they grabbed what they could easily find and snatch and get out of the building with,” she said.

Among the stolen items are neckpieces by metalsmith Florence Resnikoff, a pair of scrimshaw walrus tusks and Native American baskets. Fogarty added that many of the missing objects are 20th century memorabilia, including campaign badges and sports trophies.

The Oakland Museum of California collects art, historical artifacts, and natural science material connected to California, covering work from the late 18th century to the present. Its collections include artwork, photographs, natural specimens, archival audio and past exhibitions about movements such as Black Power and student activism.

The stolen items may already have been sold, since two weeks have passed since the burglary, John Romero, a retired captain from the Los Angeles Police Department who once led its commercial crimes division, told the Los Angeles Times, as cited by news agency AP. He said investigators are likely checking platforms such as Craigslist and eBay, as well as networks dealing in historic or collectible objects.

“These people are interested in fast cash, not the full appraisal value,” he told the Times. “They need to get rid of it quickly.”

A previous break-in occurred in January 2013, when a man stole a Gold Rush-era jewelry box from the museum building.

Oakland Police did not share more details, but said they are working with an FBI unit that focuses on art crime, including theft, forgery and trafficking of cultural property, as per the AP report.

The burglary happened four days before a separate theft in which thieves took Napoleonic jewels from the Louvre in Paris. Police have made arrests in that case, but the jewels are still missing.