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FILE-A member of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) poses for an illustrative photo during a press conference. (Sebastian Barros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, Calif. – More than 1,000 items, many of them indigenous historical artifacts, were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California earlier this month.
The Oakland Police Department is working with the FBI to investigate the crime, which occurred at 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15. The perpetrators broke into an offsite storage facility and stole more than 1,000 items, including Native American baskets and jewelry, as well as laptops and other historical artifacts.
“The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage,” Lori Fogarty, the Oakland Museum of California’s executive director and CEO said in a press release. “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 FBI has a unit dedicated to solving such crimes, the Art Crime Team, which consists of 20 agents across the country. The Art Crime Team is tasked with investigating all matters related to art, including theft, fraud, forgery, or antiquities and cultural property trafficking.
Anyone with information about the crime is urged to contact the OPD burglary team at (510)238-3951. You can also contact the FBI Art Crime Team at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online.
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