DNA evidence helps French police recover two stolen Renoirs

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 12 Oct, 14:38 · Archive

French investigators used DNA evidence and vehicle tracking to recover two Renoir paintings stolen from a museum on the French Riviera and arrested four men.

DNA left on a protective painting cover helped investigators recover two Renoirs stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera on 8 September. Four men have been given preliminary charges in the investigation, including organized theft and criminal association, according to Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone. The paintings, 'Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano' and 'Young Woman at the Well', suffered a tear and slight frame damage respectively and are valued at 4.2 million euros combined.

Thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence and entered the museum through the ground floor, cutting clips that secured the frames of four paintings. An alarm sounded and police arrived four minutes later, which Bessone said apparently caused the perpetrators to panic. As they fled, they abandoned two of the four paintings, which were later found in a protective sleeve.

The DNA found on the abandoned cover matched a 29-year-old man already under investigation in a drugs trafficking case whose vehicle was being tracked by police. Vehicle-tracking data showed the suspect, accompanied by a 41-year-old man, went to the home of a third man shortly after the theft. The investigation also uncovered what prosecutors suspected were preparations for another art heist.

How it is being reported

• DNA and vehicle-tracking help French investigators recover stolen Renoirs and makes arrestsDNA left on a painting cover has helped investigators recover two stolen Renoirs and uncover plans for another heist, according to a French prosecutor.News4Jax · 12 Oct, 14:12
• DNA and vehicle-tracking help French investigators recover stolen Renoirs and makes arrestsDNA left on a painting cover has helped investigators recover two stolen Renoirs and uncover plans for another heist, according to a French prosecutor.Clickorlando · 12 Oct, 14:12

In this story: Renoir Museum · Cagnes-sur-Mer · Nicolas Bessone · French Riviera

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