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Art Thieves Steal Treasures from 105 Year Old Vancouver Woman

by mtippett | July 23, 2010 at 03:20 pm

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Vancouver Police are releasing surveillance photos and asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the person who stole a valuable painting from the room of a 105 year old woman living in a rest home.

On July 14th around 6 p.m., an unidentified woman walked in to the west-side rest home and went straight to the room of the elderly victim. She was carrying a bouquet of flowers, a black shoulder bag and a large flat box suitable for carrying paintings. Video surveillance shows the woman leaving the rest home with the box and shoulder bag, but without the flowers which were left behind in the room. Neither family nor staff recognizes the woman. The theft was discovered a few days later when a relative noticed the missing piece of art and alerted the rest home staff and police.

Stolen is a framed Manet-style Emil Zola portrait oil painting (copy) measuring 24” X 36”, as well as a framed 9” X 12” black and white photograph of the victim at age 17. These are of great sentimental value to both the elderly victim and her family.

The female suspect is described as white, 30 to 35 years old, 5’6” tall, 220 pounds, and heavy-set with shoulder-length dirty blonde hair. She was wearing large dark sunglasses, a black t-shirt, black Adidas pants with three white stripes on the legs and runners.

The Vancouver Police Department is working hard to locate the stolen artwork and to identify the thief, but needs the help of local art dealers, collectors, and the public to assist in returning the artwork to the rightful owner and identifying the callous thief.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.