Art heist: 'At least two people rappelled through our skylight'
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OLYMPIA, Wash. -- It appears thieves wanted to get their hands on several pieces of art in the worst way.
They broke into a gallery over the weekend in a heist that involved height and a flair for the dramatic.
"I thought, 'Is there a possibility that they came in through this 3x3 space in the skylight?'" said Jo Gallaugher, owner of Matter Gallery in downtown Olympia.
It turned out to be not only possible, but what actually happened.
"At least two people rappelled through our skylight and stole two large pieces of artwork, believe it or not," said Gallaugher.
There were at least three witnesses - a man, a woman and a child - who had the perfect angle to see the sky light stunt. But they are not talking.
It happened late Friday night or early Saturday morning. With broken glass peppered across the floor below, the thieves rappelled down from the light. And they made off with two large pieces, titled Tribute to a Concussed skier and Horizons 2.
The thieves dragged the pieces out the gallery's back door and into a waiting getaway truck.
"The customers who pay most attention to those pieces are usually young men in their 20s or 30s," said Gallaugher.
And the rappelling thieves apparently were not art connoisseurs.
"You know what? They're certainly, by no means, the highest priced pieces in here (at) the total of $1,400," Gallaugher said.
The heist was made easier by the fact that water damage had forced the owner to turn off the gallery lights that night.
Olympia police are investigating.
They broke into a gallery over the weekend in a heist that involved height and a flair for the dramatic.
"I thought, 'Is there a possibility that they came in through this 3x3 space in the skylight?'" said Jo Gallaugher, owner of Matter Gallery in downtown Olympia.
It turned out to be not only possible, but what actually happened.
"At least two people rappelled through our skylight and stole two large pieces of artwork, believe it or not," said Gallaugher.
There were at least three witnesses - a man, a woman and a child - who had the perfect angle to see the sky light stunt. But they are not talking.
It happened late Friday night or early Saturday morning. With broken glass peppered across the floor below, the thieves rappelled down from the light. And they made off with two large pieces, titled Tribute to a Concussed skier and Horizons 2.
The thieves dragged the pieces out the gallery's back door and into a waiting getaway truck.
"The customers who pay most attention to those pieces are usually young men in their 20s or 30s," said Gallaugher.
And the rappelling thieves apparently were not art connoisseurs.
"You know what? They're certainly, by no means, the highest priced pieces in here (at) the total of $1,400," Gallaugher said.
The heist was made easier by the fact that water damage had forced the owner to turn off the gallery lights that night.
Olympia police are investigating.
