A $1.5 million Buddha sculpture stolen from a Los Angeles art gallery last week has been recovered – and a man has been arrested in connection with the brazen heist, according to police.
The 250-pound bronze statue, which is hundreds of years old and originally from Japan, was found in a truck on Saturday, said LAPD Lt. Ruiz to KTLA. Justin Livick, 44 was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property. He has been released, police said.
Police said it was unclear whether Livick was the thief caught on camera stealing the work from the Barakat Gallery in Beverly Grove or if he had purchased the stolen art.
No additional details have been released, the outlet said.
Security footage from the gallery showed thieves pulling up to the gallery in a moving truck around 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 18, according to owner Fayez Baraka.
The driver steps out, opens the entrance gate and enters the gallery, video showing. He then used a dolly to load the 4-foot-tall statue onto a truck before driving away. The robbery only took 25 minutes.
The 250-pound, four-foot bronze statue is from Japan’s Edo Period.KTLA 5 The $1.5 million statue was seized from Barakat Gallery.KTLA 5
Hundreds of other valuable pieces were skipped in favor of the Buddha – the only item stolen.
Baraka told KTLA that the statue, which he acquired 55 years ago, dates back to Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1867). It is believed to have been commissioned for the center of a temple.
The thief was caught on security camera taking the statue. KTLA 5 The statue was the only piece targeted in the robbery. KTLA 5
“Because it is an ancient artifact, there is no place where you can sell this piece,” he told the store after the theft. “You can’t go to the market. You can’t take it to a pawn shop and sell it for a few thousand dollars, it’s just not possible. So, it’s very interesting. It’s like a museum robbery type thing where, what are you going to do with these objects now? We were all very curious and really puzzled, to be honest.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
