"The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state's cultural heritage, Lori Fogarty, the executive director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California, said in a statement. 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."
"The San Francisco Bay Area museum first opened in 1969 and houses more than 2m objects, including seminal artworks, historical artifacts and natural specimens, according to the OMCA website, and offers programs that aim to explore and reveal the factors that shape California character and identity. Fogarty told reporters on Wednesday that there were no staff in the off-site facility at the time it was burglarized and that workers discovered the burglary the morning of 16 October, Oaklandside reported."
"The Oakland police department said in a statement on Wednesday that on 15 October, just before 3.30am, individuals broke into the facility and stole hundreds of items from the collection. It appeared to be more of a crime of opportunity than a strategic strike, she said. The police department is investigating the burglary with the FBI's art crime team, a highly specialized unit of roughly 20 agents that investigate theft, fraud and antiquities and cultural property trafficking, the Oakland police department said."
More than 1,000 items from the Oakland Museum of California's collection were stolen during a burglary at an off-site storage facility on 15 October. The break-in occurred just before 3.30am and thieves removed hundreds of objects including Native American baskets, ivory carvings, daguerreotypes, jewelry and laptops. Workers discovered the burglary the morning of 16 October and no staff were present at the facility during the incident. Museum leadership described the theft as robbing the public of cultural heritage and noted many objects were generous donations. Oakland Police are investigating in partnership with the FBI's art crime team.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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