Burglars struck the Oakland Museum of California’s storage facility this month, stealing historic artifacts and other items.
The stolen items include engraved walrus tusks, woven Native American baskets, metalwork jewelry and 20th-century political campaign and sports memorabilia, according to The Associated Press.
The burglary happened at about 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, the Oakland Police Department said Wednesday. The police did not say how the suspects got into the off-site facility. More than 1,000 items from the museum’s collection were taken.
“The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage. Most of these objects have been given to the museum by generous donors,” said Oakland Museum of California CEO Lori Fogarty.
Neither authorities nor museum officials said how much the stolen items are worth.
As opposed to the heist at the Louvre in Paris just days later, where two suspects are facing preliminary charges of “theft committed by an organized gang and criminal conspiracy,” the Oakland Museum of California does not believe the act was premeditated.
“We think that this was more of a crime of opportunity than a strategic strike,” Ms. Fogarty told local online newsroom The Oaklandside.
“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 told AP.
Oakland police and the FBI’s Art Crime Team are investigating the crime and working to retrieve the stolen items.
