Oakland Museum Loses Over 1,000 Artifacts

In the early hours shortly before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2025, thieves broke into an off‑site storage facility of the Oakland Museum of California and stole more than 1,000 artifacts. Stolen items include Native American baskets, jewelry, carved ivory tusks/scrimshaws, historic photographs, laptops and other objects, many of them donated and considered priceless for California’s cultural heritage. Museum executive director Lori Fogarty called the theft a “brazen act” that robs the public of cultural heritage. The Oakland Police Department and the FBI’s specialized Art Crime Team have opened a joint investigation; authorities have released photos of stolen items but have not disclosed the storage location, provided a value estimate, or made any arrests. Officials are urging anyone with information to contact the OPD burglary unit or the FBI as they work to recover the missing artifacts.