LAPD detectives recover artwork stolen 25 years ago
LOS ANGELES - Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division have recovered one of four high value paintings stolen from a L.A. art gallery 25 years ago, authorities announced Thursday.
The painting "Canal" by Robert Spencer, painted sometime between 1879 and 1931, was taken in January 1995, the LAPD reported. The name of the gallery was not immediately available.
This past November, the LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division got a tip that the painting was consigned and on an exhibit at a museum in Buckingham Township, Pennsylvania. Detectives then identified the unnamed person who was in possession of the painting and contacted Pennsylvania law enforcement for help.
CCD detectives and Pennsylvania agents met with the person and determined he or she didn't know the painting was stolen and voluntarily released it, according to the LAPD. But there's still no leads as to the other three missing paintings or to whoever stole the artworks, authorities said.
Anyone with information on the missing artwork was asked to call the LAPD's Commercial Crimes Division at 213-486-6940.