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18h ago

Oakland Museum Says 1,000-Item Burglary Was Opportunistic Theft

Investigators expanded the list of missing memorabilia, flagged culturally sensitive pieces, initiated outreach to the FBI Art Crime Team plus a Tribe to aid recovery.

This undated photo provided by the Oakland Museum of California Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, shows scrimshaw tooth at the Oakland Museum of California, in Oakland.
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A man walks past the Oakland Museum of California, Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Oakland. Museum officials said Friday that a break-in that led to the theft of 1,000 artifacts was a “crime of opportunity,” not a targeted heist.
This undated photo provided by the Oakland Museum of California Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, shows the Rutilated Quartz Dome Neckpiece by Florence Resnikoff at the Oakland Museum of California, in Oakland.

Overview

  • Thieves broke into the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site storage before 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 15 and took more than 1,000 objects, with no arrests or valuations disclosed.
  • Museum officials report the majority of missing items are everyday memorabilia such as campaign pins, award ribbons and souvenir tokens rather than targeted masterpieces.
  • Sensitive losses include six Native American baskets, several 19th-century scrimshaw objects, daguerreotypes and modernist metalwork jewelry by the late Florence Resnikoff.
  • The museum says evidence points to a crime of opportunity, with perpetrators grabbing easily accessible items and no sign they knew the facility held museum collections.
  • OMCA is coordinating directly with the Tribe connected to the stolen baskets at the Tribe’s request for anonymity, as OPD and the FBI Art Crime Team pursue tips and resale channels.