The recent high-profile theft at the Louvre Museum in Paris, which shocked the world with the robbery of eight priceless jewel artifacts that remain missing, actually followed a major burglary in California. Before the Louvre incident, the Oakland Museum in California also suffered a significant theft, with over 1,000 treasured items vanished into the hands of thieves. Police stated that the case is now being handled by the FBI's special Art Crime Team.
Oakland police reported that a theft occurred at a museum storage facility at 3:30 a.m. on October 15, where thieves made off with over a thousand items, including metal jewelry, Native American woven baskets, numerous donated artworks, and sports trophies—all valuable artifacts of California's history.
● Stolen artifacts include metal jewelry
Among the stolen items were a necklace by the late artist and metal craftsman Reznikoff and a pair of carved walrus tusks.
So far, no arrests have been made. The FBI Art Crime Team has intervened. This specialized team, consisting of about 20 agents nationwide, is dedicated to investigating cases of art theft, fraud, forgery, and cultural artifact smuggling.
Curator: A Loss for the Entire Community
Museum director Fogarty said at a press conference on Thursday that information on the incident will be released to the public as soon as possible to prevent the treasures from being sold on flea markets, antique shops, or pawn shops. She said, “This is not just a loss for the museum; it’s a loss for the whole community. We hope the public can help us recover these artifacts.”
Fogarty also noted that the thieves probably had no idea about the significance of these treasures: “We suspect the thieves just grabbed whatever they could carry after breaking into the warehouse and took it out of the building.”
Collection Spanning Late 18th Century to Present
The mission of the Oakland Museum of California is to document the art, history, and natural environment of California. Its collection spans works by Californian artists from the late 18th century to the present, as well as artifacts, photos, natural specimens, and audio archives. The museum has previously held special exhibitions on themes such as the Black Civil Rights Movement and Student Activism.
The museum is located between downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt, covering about 7 acres, with an exhibition area of 110,000 square feet. Its collections span art, history, and natural sciences, making it one of the Bay Area's important cultural institutions.
Experts Fear Artifacts Already Sold Off
Some experts believe that, since the theft occurred two weeks ago, the stolen treasures are likely already resold. Former Los Angeles Police Chief Romero said, “These thieves are only after quick profits; they don't get the items appraised first. They need to sell them off quickly.”
Romero cited an example from 2013, when a man broke into a museum and stole a gold jewelry box. With tips from the public, the police eventually found the jewelry box at a pawn shop.