[MSN] Stolen Art Academy Jewelry Recovered. Thief Made Off With $500, 000 Worth Of Jewelry In First Heist.

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Stolen Art Academy Jewelry Recovered
Thief Made Off With $500,000 Worth Of Jewelry In First Heist

POSTED: 3:28 pm HST July 6, 2006
UPDATED: 8:42 am HST July 7, 2006

HONOLULU -- The Honolulu Academy of Arts told KITV it recovered close to
$500,000 worth of rare Indian jewelry that was stolen from the museum.

KITV first broke the story on Saturday.

Academy of Arts Director Stephen Little informed KITV that the museum has
recovered all of the stolen jewelry. Little said the academy plans to put
the jewelry on display at the museum at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Little said that the museum is thrilled to have the items back. He refused
to say how the art museum got the stolen jewelry back and he would not say
if the suspect had been arrested. 
 

The theft happened at the Academy of Arts on May 14 in the Watumull Gallery
at the Ward Avenue corner of the museum. The Indian gallery features statues
and jewelry. Many of the pieces were donated by Indru and Gulab Watumull.

The stolen jewelry items were antique gold pieces studded with precious gems
such as in the photo (pictured, right).

The thief walked into the gallery during regular hours, broke into a display
case and walked out with jewelry stuffed in his pockets, police said.

Police described the suspect as a Caucasian homeless man in his early 20s.

Two weeks later, security cameras taped what appeared to be the same man
trying to break into another case of jewelry.

However, the second time the thief stopped before taking anything and left
through the museum's front door. Police said they don't know why the suspect
aborted his second attempt to steal from the Academy of Arts.

Museum insiders said that the case is the first in its history the Academy
of Arts has had such a theft.

The academy tried to keep the theft secret. Officials said they were worried
publicity would hinder the investigation.

However, others told KITV that the secrecy was because the art museum was
embarrassed by its lapse in security.

http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/