More than 1,000 historic artifacts, including Native American jewelry and relics, were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California\u2019s storage facility.<\/p>\n
The storage facility, which houses scores of antiquities tied to Native American tribes that once lived in the area, was broken into around 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, the Oakland Police Department said in a press release Wednesday.<\/a><\/p>\n Among the 1,000 items reportedly taken were jewelry, photos, laptops and art \u2026 though police say it\u2019s unclear how many thieves may have been involved in the heist.<\/p>\n More than 1,000 artifacts were stolen from the Oakland Museum of California. Oakland Museum of California<\/p>\n Many of the items taken from the museum\u2019s storage facility were often made available to researchers and scholars. Oakland Museum of California<\/p>\n While the building is equipped with security cameras and alarms, there were reportedly no staff present at the time of the burglary, and employees weren\u2019t made aware of the heist until the following morning.<\/p>\n \u201cWe think that this was more of a crime of opportunity than a strategic strike,\u201d Lori Fogarty, the executive director and CEO of the museum, said in an interview with The Oaklandside<\/a>. <\/p>\n The museum houses a plethora of artifacts frequently made available to researchers, scholars, and other institutions.<\/p>\n An exact dollar amount of what was taken is still being determined, as Fogarty said staff is working with insurance providers to try and determine the exact value of everything taken.<\/p>\n She said the decision to wait two weeks before making the burglary public was to help investigators work without significant interference from the public.<\/p>\n \u201cStealing from a museum is a federal crime. We have engaged deeply in the last few days with both OPD and the FBI, and they let us know that now was the moment to share this news with the public,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Many of the artifacts were tied to different Native American groups. Oakland Museum of California<\/p>\n Some daguerreotypes were also stolen, which were photos taken through a specific process soldified in the 1830s. Oakland Museum of California<\/p>\n All of the 2 million artifacts at the OMCA are owned by the city of Oakland. Oakland Museum of California<\/p>\n All of the 2 million artifacts at the OMCA are owned by the city of Oakland.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not the first time the museum has been robbed. In late 2012 and early 2013, Andre Taray Franklin was caught selling an $800,000 Gold Rush-era jewelry box that was stolen from the museum. <\/p>\n He was later sentenced to four years in prison.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tLove West Coast news? The California Post is coming soon.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGet in early. Stay updated.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The news of the Oakland crime comes on the heels of scooter-riding thieves breaking into the Louvre<\/a> in France, making off with some of the country\u2019s most prolific jewels, including Empress Eug\u00e9nie\u2019s crown.<\/p>\n The crown was dropped during the thieves\u2019 escape, but was damaged.<\/p>\n