Video shows suspects in Oakland Museum of California theft

The Oakland Police Department has released a video showing the suspects behind the recent theft of more than a thousand historical and Native American artifacts from the Oakland Museum of California.

Burglars broke into the museum’s off-site storage facility just before 3:30 a.m. local time on October 15 and made off with historic artifacts, including Native American baskets and jewelry, as well as laptops owned by the museum.

Staff were not present at the time of the burglary and the institution later said that investigators believe the theft was not a targeted heist but a “crime of opportunity.”

The Oakland Police Department and the FBI on Monday released the surveillance footage showing the suspects wearing masks and walking through the facility. One of the men’s pants appeared to be visibly falling as he walked.

One man was described as having a thin build and was wearing a black beanie, white face mask, plaid long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. The other was described as having a heavy build and was wearing a blue hoodie with white letters on the front of the chest, blue pants, white shoes with black detailing and black gloves.

“The FBI art crime team continues to work closely with the Oakland Police Department and the Oakland Museum of California as part of this ongoing investigation,” police said.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to help identify the suspects by contacting police or submitting a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.

Follow along with other art crime stories at Urgent Matter’s art crime tracker.