(OAKLAND, Calif.) — More than 1,000 items and historical artifacts have been stolen in an early morning heist from a California museum’s off-site collection, according to police.
The Oakland Police Department, along with the FBI, are investigating a burglary that occurred just before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, at the Oakland Museum of California’s storage facility, police said.
Authorities said that the suspect or suspects broke into the facility and stole more than 1,000 items from the museum’s collection, including “Native American baskets, jewelry [and] laptops,” according to a statement from the Oakland Police Department.
“The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage,” said Oakland Museum of California Executive Director and CEO Lori Fogarty. “Most of these objects have been given to the Museum by generous donors. We are working in close partnership with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI to see that these objects are returned.”
Authorities are still trying to determine how the heist was pulled off and where the artifacts might be, though the museum said law enforcement asked them not to say anything initially so that the investigation wouldn’t be jeopardized, according to ABC News’ San Francisco station KGO.
“I think it is very possible that the people who stole these items don’t really know themselves what they have and why it might be important and where to actually, if they’re trying to pass it off or sell it, where to take it,” Fogarty told KGO.
The FBI Art Crime Team — a specialized unit of approximately 20 agents across the United States who are tasked with investigating all matters related to art — has been assigned to this case and is currently investigating the heist alongside local authorities.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
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