Oakland Museum Storage Heist Steals 1,000+ Items

In the early hours just before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, thieves broke into an off‑site storage facility holding the Oakland Museum of California’s collection and stole more than 1,000 items. Stolen objects include Native American baskets and jewelry, engraved walrus tusks (scrimshaw), daguerreotypes, metalwork by Florence Resnikoff, laptops and everyday memorabilia, many donated and considered central to California’s cultural heritage. Museum staff discovered the break‑in on Oct. 16 and the museum publicly announced the theft around Oct. 29–30 after coordinating with investigators; Executive Director Lori Fogarty called the raid a “brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage.” The Oakland Police Department and the FBI have opened a joint investigation and the FBI’s Art Crime Team — about 20 agents — has been assigned; authorities have released photos of stolen items but have not disclosed the storage location or made any arrests. Officials said the museum has contacted an affiliated tribe (whose name was withheld) and warned that some items may already have been sold or could appear at flea markets, pawn shops or online, urging the public to report tips to OPD or the FBI. The heist, described by officials as one of California’s largest in recent years, has intensified questions about museum security amid a separate high‑profile Louvre robbery days later.