Art thieves nab $250,000 Rembrandt from California hotel


LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Investigators were examining hotel surveillance video on Sunday for clues to the disappearance of a drawing by Rembrandt from a private exhibit near Los Angeles, officials said.

The pen-and-ink drawing known as "The Judgment" by the 17th century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn, vanished on Saturday night from the Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey while the curator was "distracted" for about 15 minutes, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office.

"When he turned back, the pen-and-ink drawing was gone," Whitmore said.

"We believe there was more than one person involved," he added.

The drawing, which is valued at $250,000 and measures about 11 by 6 inches, was part of a weekly exhibit hosted at the exclusive hotel by the Linearis Institute, Whitmore said.

Sheriff's officials were reviewing hotel surveillance tape on Sunday, he said.

"We believe this to be well planned and well executed," Whitmore said, but he said investigators have some "strong leads."