[MSN] Canada. Art thieves strike again in Gatineau Hills. Sculptor fears pattern after second incident.

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Art thieves strike again in Gatineau Hills
Sculptor fears pattern after second incident  

Published: Saturday, November 18, 2006 
A Farrellton sculptor who lost two statues during the second Gatineau Hills
art theft in two months said yesterday the burglary shows art thieves could
be operating in the area.

Cordula Podehl, 65, said someone stole a green soapstone sculpture of a
woman bending down and a bronze statue of a mother with four children,
between 1 and 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 10, while she was out. The two statues are
about 30 centimetres high and have a combined estimated value of $7,000.

A pair of Inuit statues worth about $50,000 was stolen from the Chelsea home
of Ottawa businessman Bertram Loeb in the weeks after his death.

Police believe the statues were taken between Sept. 26 and 28.

The thieves who broke into Mr. Loeb's house did not set off a security alarm
when they broke in through a sunroom window while the house was empty,
police said. Nothing else was taken.

Ms. Podehl is offering a reward for the return of the statues. She said they
are very personal pieces because she made one of them for her late
mother-in-law.

The only other things taken were a chainsaw and a $1,500 watch.

"It really broke my heart when I discovered that these pieces were missing,"
Ms. Podehl said.

"Who would want to take sculptures like this? I have the feeling that art
thieves are operating in this area.

"It is really hard to go to sleep because it is constantly on my mind. And
you never know whether they are coming back. Our freedom is gone."

Mr. Loeb's daughter, Naomi, said her father was "a real lover of Inuit art
for some time." Mr. Loeb, who built a North American supermarket empire,
died Sept. 11 at age 90 from complications of multiple myeloma.

A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the
thieves or the recovery of the statues. Anyone with information can call
Sgt.-Det. Luc Bastien at 819-459-2422, ext. 235.

Lieut. Marc Dube of the MRC des Collines police said it is too early to tell
whether the burglaries were the work of professional art thieves.

He added the thieves may try to sell the statues to people looking for fine
art bargains because pawn shop owners know about the thefts and would likely
call the police.

C The Ottawa Citizen 2006