A bold robbery took place at the storage facility of the Oakland Museum in California, resulting in the theft of over 1,000 historical artifacts, including valuable Native American baskets and jewelry. This incident has triggered a joint investigation involving the FBI and the Oakland Police Department.
According to the Oakland Police, the robbery unfolded just before 3:30 a.m. on October 15, 2025. Thieves managed to break into the museum’s off-site storage and escape with a substantial part of its collection.
Among the items taken were not just baskets and jewelry, but also laptops and other significant pieces that represent California’s cultural heritage. The Art Crime Team of the FBI, which consists of about 20 agents focusing on art-related crimes, is contributing to the ongoing investigation.
“This theft is a brazen act that deprives the public of our state’s cultural heritage,” stated Lori Fogarty, the executive director and CEO of the Oakland Museum of California. She emphasized that many artifacts were generous donations from the community. The museum is actively collaborating with local authorities and the FBI to recover the stolen items.
Fogarty noted that the museum is in the process of inventorying the stolen artifacts to gauge their total value, but as of now, no arrests have been made.
Authorities are appealing to the public for any information regarding the incident, urging anyone with details to reach out to the OPD Robbery Unit or the FBI’s Fine Arts Crimes Team.
This break-in is particularly striking as it occurred shortly before a $102 million jewelry heist at the Louvre in Paris, raising significant concerns about security measures in museums globally.
In a separate incident, French authorities reported that a group of thieves used a basket lift to access the Louvre, breaking windows and display cases before making off with a collection of royal jewels in just eight minutes. The director of the Louvre subsequently acknowledged serious security flaws.
The heist at the Louvre involved thefts of iconic pieces, including a sapphire crown and jewelry linked to historical figures like Empress Marie Louise and Queen Marie Amélie. Interestingly, a damaged but repairable crown belonging to Empress Eugénie was later found outside the museum.
