Overview
- The pair were arrested, placed in custody, and presented to a judge on October 30 following a weeks-long joint inquiry by the gendarmerie and municipal police.
- One suspect is a municipal employee suspected of enabling entry to the technical services storage without forced break-in.
- Reports indicate the 450-kilogram bronze bell was resold for about €1,500 and likely melted, sharply limiting chances of recovery.
- A local report says an anonymous email with a photo helped lead investigators to a scrap dealer in nearby Rognac, advancing the case.
- The bell, dated 1763 and once saved from melting during the Revolution, had been stored for over two decades and was slated for cleaning and a temporary display at town hall.