$1.5 Million Statue Stolen From LA Gallery: Reports

LOS ANGELES — A centuries-old statue that weighs hundreds of pounds and is valued at $1.5 million was stolen last week from a Los Angeles gallery, according to reports.

The thief, wearing a Wu-Tang Clan hoodie, broke past the gate of the Barakat Gallery around 3 a.m. Sept. 18 and used a dolly and rental van to steal the 4-foot-tall Buddha, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We have 200 objects back there, but this is our prize piece,” gallery director Paul Henderson told KTLA. “I don’t think there’s another like it on the market anywhere.”

Dated to the Edo Period of Japan, which lasted from 1603 to 1867, the statue was likely a temple centerpiece, the Times reported, noting the statue was not shown in the gallery or listed on its website, but was kept out of view from the street in the backyard.

“It had to have been scoped out beforehand,” Henderson told the Times.

Police confirmed a burglary was reported Sept. 18 in the area of the gallery in the 900 block of La Cienega Boulevard, but were unable to immediately provide additional details.

“I hope that the person who stole it is not stealing it for the weight of bronze because it’s a historical item,” owner Fayez Barakat told KTLA, which reported Barakat is offering a reward for the statue's return.

Anyone with information should call police at 1-877-275-5273, according to the Times.