La Jolla Museum’s Pre-Columbian Art Recovered by Police

Three pre-Columbian art objects valued at about $175,000 and stolen from a La Jolla museum in October have been recovered by Los Angeles police detectives, who arrested a Bonita man in connection with the theft.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” said Martha Longenecker, founder and director of the Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art at University Towne Center. “It’s just extraordinary intelligence and skill on behalf of the police and the FBI.”

Los Angeles police arrested Shelby Fletcher, 38, of Bonita on Friday. Fletcher was out on $5,000 bail by Saturday. Los Angeles burglary detective Bill Martin said local jails rarely hold those suspected of nonviolent crimes because they are so crowded.

After the three pieces were stolen Oct. 23, the museum circulated flyers to art dealers throughout the country, warning of the possibility that someone might be trying to sell the art objects.

In November, police said, Fletcher contacted a Los Angeles art dealer, who recognized the pieces from the flyer as stolen. The dealer, whose name was not released, called San Diego police, who called the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI set up an undercover buy at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport on Friday, arrested Fletcher and recovered two of the pieces. San Diego police recovered a third piece at Fletcher’s home. The items are:

* A $150,000 Mayan cylinder vase from Guatemala, made between AD 750 and AD 800.

* A $25,000 carved green stone ax, made between 800 BC and 100 BC.

* A $1,500 stone celt, an Indian cutting tool, in the shape of a jaguar that came from west Mexico and was made between 500 BC and 100 BC.

Los Angeles police had little information about Fletcher and could not say exactly how the theft occurred while the museum was open during the day. San Diego police involved in the case could not be reached for comment Monday.

Museum officials learned of the recovery of two pieces Friday and the third on Monday, Longenecker said. She said the museum would pay the $17,000 it offered in reward money to the dealer who contacted police.

The pieces were part of a show at the Mingei entitled “Pre-Columbian Flora and Fauna: Continuity of Plant and Animal Themes in Mesoamerican Art.” The exhibit shows how pre-Columbian man attempted to explain the natural order of events through the use of animal and plant metaphors.

The museum obtained the pieces on loan in mid-September. The exhibit is scheduled to run through Feb. 17. Longenecker said police have told her they need the art as evidence and are attempting to take photographs of the pieces so they can be returned as soon as possible.

The theft was the first at the museum, Longenecker said. The museum had installed a video security system before the theft, but it didn’t help.

“We thought we had excellent security,” Longenecker said. “But, after the theft, we’ve added another security person. The theft was shocking.”

Longenecker said she was particularly glad that someone recognized the artwork from one of the 50 flyers she distributed.