A treasure trove of pricy art reportedly has gone missing from a property on the 600 block of Ramirez Canyon Road in Malibu. Los Angeles sheriff’s investigators are looking into the theft which occurred last week.
According to reports published in the Los Angeles Times, the theft led to $400,000 worth of art. But Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Lt. J. Seeto says on second glance, the artwork could be worth a lot less than originally thought. “The value is not what we thought and we have detectives working on the case.”
Four paintings were said to have disappeared last Friday including a work by highly coveted modern artist Roy Lichtenstein. Details about the apparently looted artwork remain unclear.
According to published reports, the property is associated with the late philanthropist Sam Simon, co-creator of the entertainment powerhouse “The Simpsons.” They reportedly were a part of his Sam Simon Foundation.
Simon was a man of many talents as a director, producer, writer, philanthropist, even tournament poker player but he is best known for bringing the iconic Simpsons family to life.
Simon died on March 8 after a long battle with cancer. He left his $100 million dollar estate to various charities, which he actively supported.
Detective Sam Taylor, meantime, says there were no indications of a break in and the investigation is on going.
Malibu has some of the world’s greatest art collectors, but Taylor says thefts of these kinds are rare. In addition to security measures, he suggests putting any valuable artwork on a national registry for extra protection.