OAKLAND, CA—The Oakland Police Department and the FBI released surveillance footage on Monday of two individuals they believe to be responsible for the theft of more than 1,000 artifacts from the Oakland Museum of California’s (OMCA) storage facility.
Authorities described one suspect as a male with a thin build. The man was wearing a plaid long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, black shoes, a black beanie, and a white face mask. Another unknown suspect was described as having a heavy build and was wearing a blue hoodie with white letters on the chest, blue pants, white shoes with black detailing, and black gloves.
The first section of the security footage shows the two suspects walking around inside the facility. The second part of the released video shows the first suspect, who was covering half his face, trying to get through a chain-link fence. He then appears to give up on his attempt and walks away from the camera.
“Investigators are asking anyone with information that may assist in identifying the individuals or recovering the stolen artifacts to contact OPD’s burglary section at 510-238-3951 or submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1800-CALL-FBI (225-5324),” the announcement, posted to OPD’s Facebook, said.
The burglary, which OMCA clarified on was not targeted theft, occurred just before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 at the museum’s off-site storage facility.
“There is no indication that the perpetrators specifically identified the facility as museum storage or sought particular artworks or artifacts,” OMCA said.
The majority of the more than 1,000 stolen artifacts consist of historic memorabilia, such as political pins, award ribbons, and souvenir tokens.
Additional stolen artifacts of particular sensitivity include six Native American baskets, several 19th-century scrimshaw objects, and a number of daguerreotypes and modernist metalwork jewelry pieces.
“This is a loss not only for OMCA, but for the broader community,” said Lori Fogarty, executive director and CEO of OMCA. “The museum takes its responsibility to steward California’s history and cultural legacy with the utmost seriousness and remains committed to recovering the stolen items and ensuring their continued care for future generations.”
Founded in 1969, the OMCA has a collection of more than 2 million artifacts.
“OMCA’s collection of art, history, and natural science is a resource for understanding California’s dynamic heritage—all within its 110,000 square feet of gallery space and seven-acre campus,” the museum said.
This is an ongoing investigation, and the FBI’s art crime team is working closely with the Oakland Police Department and the Oakland Museum of California.
