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A man has been arrested in connection with the theft of a Buddha statue worth $1.5 million, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.
The statue was recovered from a truck on Saturday and 44-year-old Justin Livick was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, LAPD Lt. Ruiz told KTLA.
He has since been released from custody.
It is unclear if Livick stole the statue or had purchased it from someone else, Ruiz said.
The incident remains under investigation and no further details were released Wednesday.
The statue was stolen from the Barakat Gallery in Beverly Grove around 3:45 a.m. Sept. 18, police said.
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Historical bronze Buddha statue worth $1.5 million stolen from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2023. (Barakat Gallery) -
Security camera catures a thief stealing a historical bronze Buddha statue worth $1.5 million from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2023. (Barakat Gallery) -
Security camera catures a thief stealing a historical bronze Buddha statue worth $1.5 million from the Barakat Gallery in Los Angeles on Sept. 18, 2023. (Barakat Gallery) -
Barakat Gallery on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles. (KTLA)
Security video shows the thief pulling up to the gallery in a moving truck. The driver steps out, breaks open a driveway gate, enters the gallery and uses a dolly to move the statue into the truck.
The entire heist took around 25 minutes, gallery owner Fayez Barakat told KTLA.
Barakat said he acquired the statue, which dates back to Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1867), more than 55 years ago, and claims there is no other piece in the world quite like it.
“I prize it so much,” Barakat previously said. “I had it in the backyard of my home and when I moved into this gallery, I put it in the backyard of the gallery for everybody to admire and enjoy.”
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