More than 1,000 items were stolen from an off-site storage facility of the Oakland Museum of California.
FBI and local officials are working together to investigate the robbery, which occurred on Oct. 15, just before 3:30 a.m., The Guardian reported Thursday.
On Wednesday, the Oakland police department said that the thieves broke into the facility and stole hundreds of items from the collection, including artifacts like Native American baskets, ivory carvings, and daguerreotypes, in addition to laptops.
“The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage,” Oakland Museum of California CEO and Executive Director Lori Fogarty 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.”
Fogarty said Wednesday that there were no staff in the facility at the time, and workers discovered the items were stolen the next day. She added that it appeared to be “more of a crime of opportunity than a strategic strike.”
