Art thieves escape with masterpieces

Police issued an international alert for a dozen paintings by Marc Chagall, Diego Rivera and other masters that were stolen from the Los Angeles suburban home of an elderly couple during a daring daytime break-in.

The paintings were worth millions of dollars and include rare works by early 20th century artists Emil Nolde and Kees van Dongen. A $200,000 reward was offered for help in recovering the artwork.

“These are world-class pieces,” said Richard Rice, a senior consultant at the Gallerie Michael in Beverly Hills, who believes the theft was among the biggest art losses ever in Los Angeles. “Every single one is museum calibre.”

Police have notified auction houses, the FBI and Interpol of the theft in case someone tries to sell the paintings elsewhere in the world

The paintings were stolen on August 23 from the home of the couple in Encino, a wealthy neighbourhood in the suburban San Fernando Valley.

The theft occurred after a maid who has worked for the couple for several years went to the store and left a service door unlocked, police said.

In the hour or so the maid was gone, the paintings were taken from the walls of two adjacent rooms, Det Donald Hrycyk said.

The couple was home at the time but in a different part of the house and did not hear an intruder. The husband is bedridden and the wife was sleeping.

“Normally there would be people with the victims at the home,” Mr Hrycyk said. “If it is a dangerous stranger that just happens off the street, they were very lucky to pick the time that they did.”

Detectives have interviewed the maid and several other domestic helpers. No arrests have been made.

“Everybody is a suspect,” Mr Hrycyk said. “We are looking into the reasonableness of the maid’s statement, and we are looking at the other people who have had access to the house.”

Mr Rice estimated the stolen paintings range in value from about $800,000 to as much as $4m