Stolen U-Haul Truck Containing Family Heirlooms in Long Beach
Long Beach Antique Dealer Offers $10,000 Reward After Theft of Rare Collection
A Long Beach antique dealer is grappling with the aftermath of a shocking theft in which a U-Haul truck filled with approximately 130 antique pieces from the 1920s and 1930s was stolen from her front yard this week.
Khobe DeLuca had parked the locked truck outside her home in the Wrigley neighborhood while she planned to return the items to her showroom in downtown Los Angeles after displaying them at the LA Pottery Show in Glendale last weekend.
"We saw the truck at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, and by 10:35, it had been completely stolen with literally everything on board, the entire inventory," DeLuca reported, emphasizing that the items were crafted in the Los Angeles region nearly a century ago.
Surveillance footage from her neighbor’s security camera revealed a minivan pulling up next to the U-Haul. Within 90 seconds, an individual entered the rental vehicle and drove away. DeLuca recounted a U-Haul representative’s comment: "Someone at U-Haul said if you have a pair of scissors and a screwdriver, you can steal the box trucks."
The Long Beach Police Department is actively investigating the theft. The rental company reported that it located the stolen truck the following day; however, DeLuca was able to recover just 20 of the original items. The estimated value of the remaining 90 pieces exceeds $100,000.
DeLuca expressed that the stolen collection, which encompasses paintings, furniture, and pottery, holds significant historic value beyond its monetary worth. "Most of them are completely one of a kind," she stated.
Among the missing artworks, two items stand out due to their unique qualities. One is a painting by Juan Duran Tinoco, a lesser-known artist from the 1930s and 1940s, depicting a bucking bronco with a man in a sombrero. The other is a 26-tile table with an ornate wrought iron base, featuring tiles made in the late 1920s on the Malibu beach. "That’s part of California’s architectural history and decorative history," DeLuca noted.
DeLuca is urging the public to be vigilant in spotting the stolen pieces, as their distinctive features make them likely to stand out at swap meets or second-hand shops. "If you see these pieces out there, they are distinct that they are one of a kind, and we really do want them to come home," she pleaded.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the recovery of the missing items. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to reach out to DeLuca, who hopes to see her unique collection returned.
