OAKLAND, Calif. – The Oakland Museum of California is on a mission to recover more than 1,000 historic artifacts stolen from its collection earlier this week.

The artifacts, ranging from jewelry to Native American baskets and ivory pieces, were taken from an offsite storage facility. Lori Fogarty, CEO of the museum, emphasized the loss, saying, "This is our heritage.

This is our public trust, and the messages I've already received from the public or from members or the community members is they personally feel a sense of loss," said Fogarty.

Fogarty believes the theft was a crime of opportunity rather than a targeted attack. The museum had been advised by law enforcement to delay announcing the theft to avoid jeopardizing the investigation.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee confirmed that the

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