French police moved quickly to arrest suspects in the theft of two paintings by renowned Impressionist artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir after one of the alleged thieves visited another museum, raising concerns about a possible second art heist, a prosecutor said on Monday.
Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said authorities accelerated the arrests after the suspect’s museum visit prompted fears that another theft could be imminent.
Police arrested six suspects earlier this month. Four men have since been formally charged in connection with the case.
Two men accused of carrying out the theft face charges of organised theft and other offences. A third suspect was charged with handling stolen goods after allegedly concealing the paintings, while a fourth was accused of taking part in a criminal conspiracy and being involved in efforts to sell the stolen artworks.
Paintings worth millions recovered
The stolen paintings, Madame Colonna Romano and Young Woman at the Well, were valued at approximately €4.2 million, or about $4.7 million, Bessone said.
The artworks were taken on September 8 from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer, on the French Riviera. Investigators said the thieves entered the museum grounds through a hole cut into a garden fence before gaining access to the building through a window.
The paintings were eventually recovered hidden behind a false wall inside a house, almost exactly one month after the theft.
However, both artworks sustained damage and will require restoration. Madame Colonna Romano was found torn.
Investigators tracked down the suspects using DNA evidence, mobile phone geolocation data and surveillance footage.
Bessone said the suspects denied having plans to carry out another museum theft. However, he questioned the explanation for the principal suspect’s visit to another museum, saying he did not believe the man had gone there simply because of his love of art.
Two more paintings abandoned during escape
The thieves also attempted to take two additional Renoir paintings, Madame Pichon and Coco Reading, which depicts the artist’s young son, Claude.
The suspects abandoned the two works in the museum gardens as they fled after police arrived at the scene.
Authorities have not reported that the additional paintings were stolen, while the investigation into the September heist continues.
