The FBI released images of a pair of suspects Monday who are wanted in connection with the theft of more than 1,000 items from the Oakland Museum of California.
The FBI and Oakland police hope that someone can help identify the men in the images, which were taken off security camera footage from the off-site storage facility where the theft took place.
The first suspect is described as a thin man who was wearing a black beanie, a white face mask, a plaid long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.
The second is described as a heavier man who was wearing a blue hoodie with white letters on the chest, blue pants, white shoes with black details and black gloves.
The break-in, which happened at about 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, is being investigated as a “crime of opportunity,” rather than a targeted effort to take anything in particular.
Missing items include political pins, award ribbons, souvenir tokens, six Native American baskets, several 19th-century scrimshaw objects, daguerreotypes, and modernist metalwork jewelry pieces, museum officials said.
“There is no indication that the perpetrators specifically identified the facility as museum storage or sought particular artworks or artifacts,” according to museum officials. “Instead, it appears they gained access and took items that were most easily available.”
The loss of the baskets is of particular concern, and the museum is communicating with the Native American tribe from which they originated, although tribal officials have asked the museum not to identify the tribe or release additional details about the items.
Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Oakland Police Burglary Section at (510) 238-3951 or submit a tip to the FBI Art Crime Team at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). Tips may remain anonymous.
A portion of the security camera footage can be viewed at youtu.be/vSFlsrz2Gh.
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