The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released footage of two suspects in one of the largest museum heists in California history.
On Oct. 15, just before 3:30 a.m., the two broke into the Oakland Museum of California’s 100,000-square-foot storage facility, making off with more than 1,000 artifacts, including jewelry and Native woven baskets, law enforcement officials say.
The warehouse is not at the site of the museum, which is in downtown Oakland.
The FBI described the suspects as one male with a thin build, wearing a black beanie, white face mask, plaid long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and black shoes, and a person of unknown gender with a heavy build, wearing a blue hoodie with white letters on the chest, blue pants, white shoes with black detailing, and black gloves.
Investigators believe the Oakland Museum burglary — unlike the professional daytime heist last month at the Louvre in Paris — was a crime of opportunity, rather than a targeted theft, according to a statement from the museum Friday.
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“There is no indication that the perpetrators specifically identified the facility as museum storage or sought particular artworks or artifacts,” the statement said. “Instead, it appears they gained access and took items that were most easily available.”
The items taken from the museum include historical memorabilia such as political pins, award ribbons, and souvenir tokens, as well as Native American artifacts and modernist metalwork jewelry by Bay Area artist Florence Resnikoff, some of which contained expensive gems.
Details of the museum’s storage facility are kept private, and only a select number of staffers, including security guards, are authorized to work at the site. Security staff were off duty at the time of the heist, according to the museum.
Officials declined to explain why no guards were on duty that night. The warehouse has been the target of burglary and theft nine times since 2012, according to crime data published by the city of Oakland.
Investigators ask anyone with information that may assist in identifying the individuals or recovering the stolen artifacts to contact OPD’s burglary unit at 510-238-3951 or submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov (opens in new tab) or 1800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). Tips may remain anonymous.