Local News in Brief : Man Arrested, Rare Swords Recovered
Two rare Japanese swords, part of a $1-million collection stolen in a 1981 Hollywood Hills burglary, have been recovered and a Hawthorne man arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen property, police said Friday.
Los Angeles and Hawthorne police said they arrested Richard Gonsalves, 55, Thursday night after searching his home and finding the two swords, one of which dates from the 15th Century and is reportedly worth $30,000.
The swords were among 150 taken eight years ago from the home of Willis M. Hawley, a leading collector and expert on Japanese swords, Los Angeles Police Detective Bill Martin said. Several of the swords stolen in the burglary have been recovered, but more than 100 are still missing, Martin said.
The latest investigation began when several people called police in the last several weeks to report that Gonsalves had offered to sell them the swords, Martin said. Gonsalves was released on $5,000 bail.
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