LOS ANGELESBag of ladybugs sets off evacuation...

LOS ANGELES

Bag of ladybugs sets off evacuation at LACMA

Art lovers were evacuated from the crowded Magritte exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Saturday after a guard noticed ladybugs escaping from a Ziploc bag on the floor in one room of the gallery.

Visitors were asked to leave about 1:45 p.m. and wait outside while workers cleaned up the insects, said Allison Agsten, the museum’s media relations manager. They were allowed back in about 15 minutes later. The exhibit, open since Nov. 19, closes today.

Museum officials said that they did not know who left the ladybugs and that the insects were not featured in any Magritte paintings at the exhibit. No works were damaged, and no one was injured.

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SAN DIMAS

Police look for link in two jewelry robberies

Two recent robberies of jewelry salesmen have authorities wondering whether the crimes are related.

Two people robbed a salesman of about $900,000 in diamonds and other merchandise Friday night in his Valley Glen driveway. At least one was reportedly armed with a pistol.

On Wednesday night, another jewelry salesman and his son were robbed in front of their San Dimas home. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Charles Jurcak said two people stole jewelry and a computer from the salesman’s vehicle. The robbers, who were carrying what Jurcak said were air pistols, drove away in separate minivans.