The Oakland Police Department (OPD) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are jointly investigating a significant theft from the Oakland Museum of California’s off-site storage facility. The incident took place shortly before 3:30 a.m. on October 15, 2025, when suspects broke into the facility and stole over 1,000 items. The stolen property includes Native American baskets, jewelry, laptops, and other historic artifacts.
Oakland Museum of California Executive Director and CEO Lori Fogarty commented on the situation: “The theft that occurred represents a brazen act that robs the public of our state’s cultural heritage. Most of these objects have been given to the Museum by generous donors. We are working in close partnership with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Police Department, and the FBI to see that these objects are returned.”
Authorities encourage anyone with information about this crime to contact the OPD Burglary Section at (510) 238-3951 or reach out to the FBI Art Crime Team via Tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
The FBI Art Crime Team is composed of around 20 agents nationwide who focus on cases involving art theft, fraud, forgery, antiquities crimes, and cultural property trafficking.
