Over 1,000 stolen: Oakland Museum of California hit by brazen heist in early morning burglary.
Thieves targeted an off-site storage facility owned by the Oakland Museum of California just before 3:30am on October 15. The break-in resulted in the theft of hundreds of valuable items from the museum's collection, including historic artifacts such as Native American baskets and ivory carvings, as well as jewelry and laptops.
According to Lori Fogarty, executive director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California, the stolen objects have significant cultural value and were donated by generous donors. The museum is working closely with local authorities, the FBI's art crime team, and other agencies to recover the stolen items and bring those responsible to justice.
The burglary appears to be a case of opportunistic theft, rather than a targeted attack on the museum. No staff were present at the facility during the break-in, and workers discovered the theft in the morning of October 16. Fogarty described the incident as "brazen" and emphasized that it represents a loss of California's cultural heritage.
The Oakland police department is investigating the burglary with the FBI's art crime team, which specializes in investigating theft, fraud, and antiquities trafficking. The case comes just days after the Louvre in Paris was robbed, leading to further international cooperation and arrests in connection with that incident.
The Oakland Museum of California has over 2 million objects in its collection, including seminal artworks, historical artifacts, and natural specimens. The museum's programs focus on exploring the factors that shape California's character and identity.
Thieves targeted an off-site storage facility owned by the Oakland Museum of California just before 3:30am on October 15. The break-in resulted in the theft of hundreds of valuable items from the museum's collection, including historic artifacts such as Native American baskets and ivory carvings, as well as jewelry and laptops.
According to Lori Fogarty, executive director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California, the stolen objects have significant cultural value and were donated by generous donors. The museum is working closely with local authorities, the FBI's art crime team, and other agencies to recover the stolen items and bring those responsible to justice.
The burglary appears to be a case of opportunistic theft, rather than a targeted attack on the museum. No staff were present at the facility during the break-in, and workers discovered the theft in the morning of October 16. Fogarty described the incident as "brazen" and emphasized that it represents a loss of California's cultural heritage.
The Oakland police department is investigating the burglary with the FBI's art crime team, which specializes in investigating theft, fraud, and antiquities trafficking. The case comes just days after the Louvre in Paris was robbed, leading to further international cooperation and arrests in connection with that incident.
The Oakland Museum of California has over 2 million objects in its collection, including seminal artworks, historical artifacts, and natural specimens. The museum's programs focus on exploring the factors that shape California's character and identity.
! I mean, over 1,000 stolen items? That's just devastating 
especially when you think about all those historic Native American baskets and ivory carvings being taken away from us. It's not just the monetary value that's a loss, it's the cultural significance and history behind each piece. The fact that they targeted an off-site storage facility is just so... opportunistic 
I feel like our museums are always on high alert for this kind of thing, but you never know when someone's gonna try to strike. The Oakland police department and FBI's art crime team should be able to track down the thieves soon though 
Fingers crossed they get those stolen items back!
The FBI is on it, but I worry about how they'll track down these stolen items, especially since some of them are super rare. This whole thing just feels like a big loss for California's cultural identity. 
The Oaklands museum has such a rich collection, it's heartbreaking to think some of these pieces might never be seen again. 
Like I get that it's not a targeted attack but still... hundreds of items are just GONE! 
And it's not like they're some random collectibles or anything, these are rare artifacts with huge cultural value. 
It's a total loss for California and the museum community.
i feel bad for the museum tho, they donated those items to the community and now they just lost a lil somethin 
It's not exactly rocket science. Anyways, hope they catch the scammers soon and get all that stolen goodness back 
. I mean, California's cultural heritage is what's being lost here, it's a big deal... sadly, it's just another day now where you gotta worry about your stuff getting nicked 
.
it's not just about the monetary value, but also the sentimental worth of these items 
this is a huge loss for our community 
it's just heartbreaking that people can be so thoughtless and greedy. i mean i get it, art and history are valuable but come on... you'd think someone would have an idea of the impact their actions could have on others 
I mean, 1,000+ stolen items from a museum? That's just crazy talk! Those historic artifacts and Native American baskets are priceless (literally!). And don't even get me started on the ivory carvings – that stuff is seriously endangered. 
The fact that no staff were present during the break-in is pretty laughable too... like, didn't they know this was going to happen? 
idk what kinda person does something like that