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Subscribe to RSSAuthorities say masked robbers broke into a mining museum in California during the daytime and stole gold and gems valued at up to $2 million. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
LOS ANGELES — Robbers wearing masks and goggles broke into a mining museum in California in broad daylight and stole gold and gems valued at up to $2 million, authorities said.
Although no-one has been identified in connection with the burglary, California investigators are searching for at least two suspects.
The masked men broke into the California State Mining and Mineral Museum in Mariposa, California, on Friday afternoon with pickaxes and forced employees into one end of the building, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a state parks spokesman.
Read the story on NBC station KCRA
But the thieves didn't get away with the biggest prize of all — the nearly 14-pound Fricot Nugget, a giant crystalline gold mass unearthed in the California Gold Rush era. The robbers triggered an alarm as they tried to break into the iron safe where it was held.
According to the museum's website, the Fricot Nugget was discovered in the American River in Northern California in 1864 and is the largest intact mass of crystalline gold remaining from the Gold Rush era.
John Palmer / California State Parks via AP
Authorities say thieves made off with an estimated $2 million in gold and precious gems during the armed robbery at the California State Mining and Mineral Museum, seen in this 2009 photo.
The California State Mining and Mineral Museum is described on its website as offering visitors the chance to explore the variety of the state's mineral wealth and view "breathtaking gems and minerals from around the world."
The California department of parks and recreation issued a statement on Monday saying the museum would be closed "until further notice while repairs are completed."
The statement added that the museum is taking an inventory of the stolen items this week, which will allow it to confirm what was taken and exactly how much the items were worth.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the museum had moved its treasures to an undisclosed location in the meantime.
The burglary was the second theft of this year involving rare, valuable minerals in Northern California. Chunks of gold were stolen from the Siskiyou County courthouse in February.
No suspects have been identified and authorities are investigating whether there is a connection between the two incidents.
NBC News staff and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Desperate times call for desperate measures.
You better lock up your gold, silver and jewelry especially with the dollar being driven into the grave with QE3.
QE3 is the FED printing more money out of thin air that will make the dollar worthless.
QE stands for Quantitative Easing. It is suppose to get people to spend more money. The truth of QE3 is that your money will be worth less and than worthless.
It said the thieves "Broke in". Was the museum open for business? Can you break in to a place that isn't locked up?
I like how they used pickaxes it keeps with the mining theme. Makes you wonder what they were thinking keeping two million in gold and gem's in a rural museum. The only reason this didn't happen long ago is most people would assume the displays were fakes. I remember in the 7th grade I went on a class trip to NYC. While there I saw these gold peaces of art in a window of a business. I asked my teacher if they were real gold. And he said no! If they were real people would come with machine guns and steal them. And no doubt he was right.
They were thinking people had more decency than they had. People don't go to museums to look at pictures of the real thing.
i figure the gold will be taken to alaska ...remelted and sold to avoid suspicion...that's what i'd do...
Geeezzz........2 mil in gold and jems in a rural museum with no security. That was easy!
A Gold heist of this magnitude sounds like John Dillinger, Baby face Nelson and Machine Gun Kelly had one more score to settle with the feds...
These guys probably already took a tour through the place with video and regular cameras to stake out the place.
Not to mention, if you go on the museum's web-site, you can get all the information you want including the value of each item and basically the layout of the building. With the Internet today, criminals can plan out a near perfect heist every time. Can you say "Insurance?"
They're probably already smelting down the gold as I write. Crazy man. What really cracks me up is that in today's world (Millennium) almost "NOBODY" gets away with anything. They'll probably get caught trying to sell their stash and we'll read about it then.....
These were IRS agents just collecting anything of value from around the US fast so Obama can make the pay day loan interest payment on all that money he borrowed and gave away like a drunken schoolgirl to those desperate millionaires and billionaires..
Agreed, Creek Dog. This was a very stupid crime committed by some idiots. They will probably be stupid enough to attempt selling their haul to a pawn shop, gold dealer, or coin or jewelry shop, and probably in the area and in the near future. Even if they smelt it, questions are still going to be raised. People will be on the lookout for these guys. I hope this museum had plenty of video cameras not only inside their museum, but outside on the premises and in the parking lot. Perps are getting nailed these days by video footage even a half mile or so distant from the site where they committed their crime.
That being said, the museum was also not too bright for not securing their valuables in a better manner. They should have had surveillance cameras all over that place, not to mention all kinds of alarms and better protected showcases. The longer one can keep a robber inside place he's trying to pull off a heist, the more time the police have to respond to the alarm, so a well-secured item in conjunction with all manner of silent alarms is a great deterrent.
If the Fed doesn't get us Monsanto will!
Were the robbers speaking in Spanish?
More consequences of the Obama Recession.
Jeffrey Parks suggest hard times has something to do with this and that may be true, but this Independents bull headed democratic friends are telling me things have never been so good since Bushwacher was in office.
Did someone mention the name REAGAN? Cause and effect.
the theives made off( under the picture) why the f does sound like somthing i heard before!
They needed the gold to pay for the Bonnie and Clyde pistols they just bought.
They could sell the gold elsewhere in the country or out of the country for that matter. There are plenty of greedy dealers, no questions asked. Whoever runs this museum must be very complacent about security. Time for a change in management.
Rontron,
They wouldn't get the gold through customs trying to get it out of the Country or into another Country. When leaving the Country with more than 10k in cash or belongings, there are special protocol to handle this plus you need all the documentation to show who it belongs to and where it's going. Obviously, they wouldn't be able to produce this.
Just saying, "Taking it on vacation with me" doesn't fly.
It's really sad, that we as American's, are unable to live in a peaceful society, in our own country. At least these morons didn't kill anyone and if they're caught, the taxpayers can support them in prision. They win either way.
Great..with worthless money maybe then people won't have to go to desperate measures to eat.
Creek Dog Wrote:
[They wouldn't get the gold through customs trying to get it out of the Country or into another Country. When leaving the Country with more than 10k in cash or belongings, there are special protocol to handle this plus you need all the documentation to show who it belongs to and where it's going. Obviously, they wouldn't be able to produce this. Just saying, "Taking it on vacation with me" doesn't fly.]
You haven't been to Mexico lately have you? I went down there last year, entered thru a place near Yuma,Az. You don't show any paperwork, I.D. or even talk to anyone. It is an open walkway like a sidewalk. It has a gate but it is wide open. You just walk right in. Coming back out you have to just show your passport/passcard. I never even had to talk to the guy, he swiped my passcard and waved me thru, never asked where I went or what I did. Would be easy to get the gold into Mexico, and there are plenty of jewelers who would buy it.
You know, it's one thing to steal from a large corporation or some mega-bank, but stealing from a museum is the same thing as stealing from every last tax payer out there. I hope they catch these guys(scumbags) and they accidentally have a nasty fall down a long flight of stairs. It is like the A$$wipes that go to a place like Bodi and take artifacts, or go to an Indian Burial site and and take artifacts, they deserve to have their hands cut off like they do in some of those foreign countries. I hope the state gets all of the gold and gems back ASAP!
I agree with you, bryan, you have to be really low to steal from a museum, an institution that shares what it has with the public (although since many museums are private or self-supporting, it is not always stealing from the taxpayer).
Stealing is stealing. Doesn't matter if it is a bank or an ice cream cone from a small child. Condoning one over the other shows how small minded some of you actually are.
Agreed. If you steal from a museum, you're a thief. If you steal from a bank or a corporation, you're ........ oh, yeah, a thief.
But if the bank steals from you....its good business ;)
I see the tongue in cheek, but that is an interesting philosophical argument. Those who claim it is good business are not good businessmen. And a case can be made that, in a truly capitalistic society with educated and informed consumers, the money would gravitate towards institutions that do not gouge their customers. Of course, such a society would also have achieved world peace and invented the perpetual motion machine.
And feeling the need to insult people over a simple comment shows how petty and small minded YOU really are.
That's why Obama gave the bankers Billions of dollars to hand out million dollar bonuses all around.. The stock brokerages rip off all the working class investors 401k funds and the industrialists don't pay a dime in tax.. How can you gravitate to something that does not exist??
My brother went there on vacation a few years ago and was going to send me pictures but his house was robbed and they took his camera so I had to look at the pictures off the Internet.. This is how we all will view our history soon as people like this are destroying it bit by bit for a buck..
Duh if you steal from a Bank its stealing from TAXPAYERS as well. Its called FDIC insured for a reason.
Exactly. Retribution at its best. Got a gun?
Gold is gold no matter where it's found.
Remember, In GoLd They Trust.
Oh good then at least we know banks are always doing good business cause they are always stealing from you !
Denver Bill
My heating bill last month was $44, the amount of gas used was $12, the rest was service charges. It is good business and it is also stealing. Unfortunately utility companies, like banks, oil and insurance companies don't compete with each other to keep prices down, they systematically raise prices together for shared higher profits and the public has nowhere else to go.. When can we choose to drive without insurance?
Hmm, I wonder is Forest Fenn was on a little treasure hunt in CA.
Chris from methville yucaipa,
You mean just like how you responded? Oh, of course not you.
Such a witty come back Dave. Sorry it took you 4 hours to come up with it. I shall try and make it easier on you next time.
OMG We need to BAN Pickaxes and make sure museums are safe for the childrens to visit, WHY WHY isn't Obama making this a top campaign issue!!!!
Who needs a pickaxe this day and age?......NO ONE!!!!
For the love of everthing Holy why are these Assualt Pickaxes out on the street?????
Just Kidding....so the crime happened in daylight! Ruins the whole outside light on at night fighting crime theory...I mean the suns very bright!
I installed outside lights, it served to give the thieves a better view of there was to steal. I also owned gold, but sold it and invested in lead.......
I got a great deal on a gold nugget from a guy, the color's a little "off" though, it's kind of more of a grayish-gold. He said it's at least 3 ounces, and worth over $4500. He sold it to me for only $450. What a great deal!!! (LOL)
at least they knew where/ what there the real money was. so look for a smart person, or just a fluke of luck?
Police will be on the lookout for a smart guy with a knapsack full of rocks instead of a much smarter guy with a portfolio full of bearer bonds.
Thieves are always looking for a soft target with high value loot (which this obviously was.) The problem with this stuff is that it is highly specialized and easily recognized. Unless the thieves have a buyer already lined up (steal to order), there will be a big risk in fencing it, and therefore a low payday compared to the retail value. The only way to disguise it would be to melt the metal nuggets, which reduces their value (and destroys the history.) The gems could be cut and mounted to disguise them, but that is very specialized. The cutting might reduce the value, or maybe increase it, depending on how it is done and the market for the jewelry that is produced.
This is a poor way to preserve history - the security of the museum needs to be hardened, which costs money that the State does not have. They might be better off having an auction, or loan the treasures to other museums where they can be viewed more safely. It's sad to think that someday all museum displays may consist of replicas and images of valuable items, with the goodies locked away in secure vaults.
Actually the reason thefts regarding gold are up. Is how easy it is to sell it. You can look on Craigslist and buyers are everywhere. They have gold buyers at swap meets and flea markets all over Cali. Way to many places that just deal in gold. Once it is smelted you honestly cant trace it. The minerals and stones may be a bit different. But the gold you can sell without even providing an ID. Ive seen it happen.
First their "Masked Robbers" then their "Masked Men" how do they know who they are?
I noticed that, too. Apparently women aren't smart enough or strong enough to do this? And obviously we wouldn't use pick-axes, we might break a nail... Honestly, going after a bunch of shiny stuff sounds more like a chick-crime to me...
If it were women they'll never catch them because the crooks will just keep all the gold and jewels.
Since the gems are from around the world, trying to sell them is a bit of a problem but gold nuggets, I don't have a clue. To me it's like stealing Mona Lisa, where are you going to sell it?
Its actually clever. Gems can be reshaped and gold can be melted down. Then throw it on ebay or take it to a dealer and you're all the richer.
Round up a Posse! Somebody get a rope!
dont say 'get a rope' you will be accused of being a racist!
We gonna put yall back in chains,,!!!!!!!!!
This has "Inside job ... insurance scam" written all over it. They will shut down now and be living pretty.
Who would live pretty? This is a State Museum in a State Park (owned by the State of California, I assume.) You may be correct about the insurance scam - goodness knows that the treasury of California could use the cash. However, states and their assets are usually self-insured.
If this were a private museum, the inside job theory would be more likely.
Who are they? It's a State Museum. The bankrupt State of California is now going to retire?
My mistake ... you are correct. There are several "mining museums" in the mid-west that are privately owned. I did not pay attention to the parks and rec part of the article.
Congress needs to fix this...make gold illegal and all hand tools used for digging need to be only purchased by licensed dirt diggers.
Vance, I agree but there are people who will argue that picks don't kill - people do. The downside to tighter pick control will be that soon law abiding citizens wont have picks and only the criminals will ...
Make gold illegal - FDR did that by Executive Order back in the (real) depression.
Anyone think they'll go back for the $350,000-$400,000 rock they left behind?
Typical "American" response to violence. Let anyone do anything to you so you can get to the most coveted status -- that of a victim. This country expects to do anything other than be picked off and run out of Iraq or Afghanistan? What a joke. We are a nation of cowards -- and idiots. If someone comes into your place wielding pick axes, guess what? You can shoot them across a room well before they can touch you with a hand tool. Idiots. No insurance company should give them a dime. If you will not fight for something, you do not deserve it. And to all you Democrats -- if you will not work for a paycheck, you do not deserve that either.
Get a job Paul.
What are you even talking about? This was a small museum, and it seems there were no armed guards on the premises. Do you expect the museum patrons or ticket-takers to jump armed robbers to defend exhibits from thieves?
First off I'm NOT a democrat, so don't insult me. True, honest "victims" in this country don't get s***! Other than victimized multiple times... victimized by the crime, victimized by the police because they won't do anything, victimized by the D.A. or Prosecutor because they won't prosecute, victimized by the Judicial system because you'll never get what's owed or what you had taken, victimized mentally emotionally because you've now lost security and trust, and I know this one is going to shock you... but, even victimized by the b.s. media coverge or reporting when you didn't do a damn thing wrong. I have been an integral part of our nation, judicial system, fought most of my life for freedoms, for our rights, PROTECTION of my loved ones and what's mine, but I'll be the first to say just how broken (and that's an understatement) our Judicial System is.
O.K. send the "hate mail" cause I'm going to say it... the victimless cowards are mostly immegrants that don't give a s*** about our country, didn't fight, or won't fight for our rights, lyberties, and freedom's. The true American, no matter what you race, ethnicity, religion, whatever, still fights for what we have, respects our Country, immigrated here and feel humble, proud, and fortunate to be a part of this country and work hard, either for someone or they're own businesses. The U.S. needs to get rid of about 1/3 the population... meaning send these ungrateful, anti-U.S., anti-everything, leaches, mooches, sponges of society back to whatever rat hole, snake hole, worm hole they came from. If you want to be here, EARN IT!!! or shut up and get the hell out!!!
So you have been fighting for "Lyberty and freedom's (freedom's what BTW)" for how long? Most of your life? Is it the kind of freedom where you get shoved into a rat hole, snake hole or worm hole? You seem pretty ungrateful about the justice system of this country, maybe it's time you got the hell out according to you. Your words, not mine.
Served.
What a tool
Hey dickhole, I have fought abroad and state side for our country, rights, laws, freedoms, society as you know it, and complete and total anarchy and chaos. I have taken lives for this country, I'v enearly had mine taken multiple times. I have bled, sweat, and cried, and watched friends and innocent people die, and have their lives detroyed in ways you could never imagine and hollywood could never tell. I have believed in our Judicial System, and uphelp the laws of country, states, counties, cities, feferal, local, name it. Our judicial system is broken. Victim's get victimized, guilty walk more than not, and only criminals, terrorists, illegal's etc. agree our judicial system is just "fine" because they get all the breaks. The hard working middle class and lower class paying taxes, doesn't get the breaks. I know, along with many othes what i have done, I've earned my right here, to say what I want... What have you ever done to say the same other than jerk off on the internet and play video games. D****** Bag!
You asked for the hatemail and you got it. What more can I say? I can say that you're a hypocrite, I can say thank you for your service, but you asked for some hatemail. Haters gotta hate!
Banks have cash and gold museums have.....well.....gold. Duh. Should have had better security with the price of gold being what it is.
No doubt! Who in this economy is going to say, "Wait a minute... this gold isn't stolen is it sonny boy???" It's gold, sell, melt it, mold it, trade it... "You're in the money". I think you just got out of the "red" and into the "black", at least for a year maybe.
Thems gold in them there museums - I am renewing my membership to our local museum today - oh looking for a used pick ax on craigslist also
I have a plastic and metal mining plate too if you're interested, two for one... Lord knows my luck isn't "rich" enough to find gold here, even though our rivers and mountains have been full of gold, silver, precious gems for centuries.
Did anyone happen to notice if they used mules to make their getaway?
When you say mules do you mean people that help people and drugs across the border?
I get it... LOL! they're both good comments. This is one of those stories that while unfortunate, I think those sharp witted enough, with nothing else to do, could go on all day with puns, euphanisms, etc.
This problem will get worse as the World economy goes down
I agree, I mean no one has ever stolen gold before. This must be a first, OMG the sky is falling!
.
You think? You mean to tell me that "poverty" empowers the non-corrupt to become criminals??? huh? Hadn't figured that one out from U.S. History, World History, society through the depression, drug/crack epodemic (still raging), unemployment, people resulting to stealing just to feed their family barely enough to survive while every illegal and lazy a** m.f. get's government assistance, healthcare, food, housing, insurance, education, jobs, etc.
And yet a natural born U.S. citizen (especially a white male American) can't get any of that, even when he's worked his whole life for the government, freedoms, justice, and had his career ended before it's time while carrying out those functions, and watches everything he worked his his a** off for his whole life just keep disappearing. You mean that goes on here??? Especially if you're a white, male American military or police, you're the most hated person on the planet and the U.S., and even with a resume' that would blow away a lot of top CEO's, you and your family cn't get anything, or even a job??? Glad i know that now. I'm going to move out of the country and immigrate back in so my family and I can be taken care of and get something for nothing, instead of doing something your entire life since you were a kid, and having nothing to show for it, and not because you did anything wrong, in fact you did everything right and then some. Good plan.
You mean there are no opportunities to be a white male CEO,police officer,teacher,firefighter,newscaster,waiter,doctor,salesman etc etc that's so depressing. It sounds like what black people had to deal with for centuries in this country, but they had a real reason for feeling that way. Sorry your life is headed in the wrong direction, but it's time to pick yourself back up again and stop blaming everyone else.
Good to see someone take imitative in the Obama economy. This stuff was just sitting around doing no good. Now perhaps it will help a few families survive without government assistance.
Welcome to the 53 percent!
You know you're on welfare Bubba, you are fooling nobody here.
You know Bubba was being sarcastic and that was a "satire" right? Do you know what "satire" is?
All you have to is look at all of his other posts Cnelly to see he actually means it. I wish he was being sarcastic and satirical. He just seems to be another Rushbot smearing Obama's name wherever and whenever possible no matter if it's relevant to the story printed above or not.
Good to see someone take 'imitative'-? Anyway, you foresee the thieves turning the swag into sewage, and you think that's good...
Lets narrow it down, did they do a little jig and yell gold in a raspy voice once they got it? If so I bet they were Irish.
This is the perfect crime no guns, and untraceable my hat goes off to the planner.
A concealed carry permit holding citizen could have tried, convicted, and executed sentencing on the a$$bags right then and there.
Sometimes you just have to love the media and journalism... I mean are we all this stupid to where the headline says "two masked men wearing wearing googles broke in... the police are searching for at least two suspects.."
Really??? Wow! I know they think it's "good invetigative reporting" and the public is all a bunch of uneducated, ignorant, naive, idiots, but me child could tell me that if they're 2 badguys, the cops are going to look for at least... two badguys. Somewhere along the way the media thinks in a matter of a couple sentences not involving mathmetics, the mathmatecial equation changed so they need to explain it.
That's like saying there were two robbers and one get away driver, but police are only searching for one suspect. Hmmmm.... Am I the only one that catches journalism and reporting being this blatantly obvious and stupid every day? If The entire state is covered in a blizzard from early sun up to sundown, schools closed, roads closed, businesses closed, people snowed into their homes... do I need the weatherman at 10 pm to tell it snowed???
There article may be more interesting, but I think my POST is more informative and educational.
Yes, very informative and educational. My life is far more enriched now that I've read your three paragraphs whining about a meaningless redundancy.
Maybe there are more planners behind this, police have to exhaust all leads in an investigation. The reporter creates a headline and then "reports" what the police were willing to tell them. The reporters here could weave circles around your brain btw.
Damn! I was at the Mariposa County Fair over Labor Day. That's where the museum is located. Why didn't I think of this?
The more I think about this crime that it was so perfect that it might have been done by our own government trying to back up some of the fake money they are printing for the 3rd quarter.
How did you get the name nine fingers, is one of them in your a**?
No, actually I am giving you one, because you said gimme gimme-1050120
Lets see if you can guess which one.
The one covered in Pooh and semen? Gross!
A place like that with that kind of inventory should have security guards on hand 24/7. The place looks really remote and wood frame buildings? An east target as mentioned by others.
They have a piece that is 14 pounds? hello! Get that thing out of there man!
Economy is down , Gun sales to legal buyers is up. Break In's on the rise. governments going broke and cutting back on law and fire. Yep we are better off today then 4 years ago, but hay, when I get shot by a bugler I will have health care .....well I will have it in 2014....bwa hahahaha.
.45 and two mag's $525. two box's of black tallon ammo $49. sleep good at night knowing if someone breaks in they won't get out....PRICELESS!
You won't get shot by a "buglar", all they do is play the bugal.
Jeff...your first post nailed it. These "robbers" may be thieves...but what the FED is doing is outright criminal, if not murder of the greenback. QE3....just keep on printing paper...the dollar will have two uses; #1. Paper to light you buck stove....#2. Toilet paper, which would beat mistaking poison oak, sumac, ivy for maple leaves.
End the Fed!
Last time I checked, official inflation was about 2%. "Real" inflation is certainly more if you need to buy gas (I do not), but that's hardly unreasonable. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
The whole QE3 plan is Obama's way to cheat himself back in the White House. Obama had to make the state of the economy look better than it is. It is an election year after all. If anyone has any common sense they would realize that Obama only cares about Obama. He will continue to run America into the ground until our currency is worthless, and we are left without any other alternative than to depend on a socialist government to survive. Americans if you want America to remain free and have a chance to prosper, you better vote out Obama this November!!!