Following a theft at the Oakland Museum of California‘s (OMCA) off-site storage facility earlier this month, the museum released a statement on Friday afternoon.
On October 15, around 3:30 a.m., a thief or group of thieves broke into the museum’s off-site storage facility, taking more than 1,000 objects. A number of additional details surrounding the case were initially withheld, so as not to impact the Oakland Police Department and the FBI’s Art Crime Team’s ongoing investigation. Now, with their approval, the museum has issued a statement on the events.
“Based on current findings, investigators believe this was a crime of opportunity, not a targeted theft,” OCMA’s statement reads. “There is no indication that the perpetrators specifically identified the facility as museum storage or sought particular artworks or artifacts. Instead, it appears they gained access and took items that were most easily available.”
The museum confirmed that the burglars took off with six Native American baskets, several 19th-century scrimshaw objects, a number of daguerreotypes, modernist metalwork jewelry pieces, and historic memorabilia such as political pins, award ribbons, and souvenir tokens.
Of particular concern are the stolen Native American baskets. The connected tribe has asked that their name not be public and that the museum not release any additional details about the baskets.
“This is a loss not only for OMCA, but for the broader community,” said Lori Fogarty, executive director and CEO of OMCA, in a statement. “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.”
The 100,000-square-foot warehouse holds more than 2 million historical artifacts, many of which have been donated to the OMCA.
Anyone with information on the theft should contact the Oakland Police Department’s burglary section (at 510-238-3951) or the FBI Art Crime Team (at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI).
