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$9 Million in Stolen Artwork Recovered in L.A. : Theft: Two suspects are arrested. The nine works, including one valued at : $5 million, were taken from a Northridge storage yard last year.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

FBI agents arrested two men and recovered more than $9 million worth of stolen artwork by Pablo Picasso, Edgar Degas and others during early morning raids Tuesday.

The nine works were stolen in February, 1992, from a commercial public storage facility in Northridge, said John Morley, senior assistant special agent in charge of the Los Angeles FBI office.

The seizure followed a tip that artwork was being offered for sale.

Arrested in pre-dawn raids were Peter Wilson MacKenzie, 43, of Canoga Park and Alan Reid McArthur, 37, of Granada Hills.

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Eight of the stolen works were hidden behind a bedroom wall at the Canoga Park house where MacKenzie was arrested, Morley said. The ninth was recovered at the Granada Hills home where McArthur was arrested.

MacKenzie was booked for investigation of burglary. McArthur was booked for investigation of receiving stolen property. Both were held in lieu of $500,000 bail.

The artworks included “The Party,” an oil painting by Picasso that Morley said had a market value of $5 million; “The Balleteuse Fixing Her Shoe,” a pastel by Degas; “Flowers on a Windowsill,” a watercolor by Marc Chagall, and “Head and Shoulders of a Young Woman,” a blue crayon drawing by Amedeo Modigliani.

None of the works was damaged, Morley said.

The artwork was displayed at the FBI offices in Westwood.

Morley and Los Angeles Police Department Detective Bill Martin declined to identify the female owner of the artworks, saying the investigation was continuing.

The artwork was not insured, Martin said.

Martin said it was one of the biggest recoveries of stolen art in Los Angeles.

Only about 10% of artwork stolen in the United States is recovered, he said.

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