The owners of the Pacific Galleries were greeted with a surprise earlier this week when they returned to prepare for their upcoming auction. On the far wall there should have been a surrealist painting by John Tunnard, valued at $25,000. Instead they were greeted with a watercolor of a grinning black cat instead.
Authorities believe this is the work of the same burglar as the one who stole a pair of feline statues on May 13th. Deep claw like marks left on the walls of Pacific Galleries match those previously left at the scene of last month's theft.
Dubbed Black Cat due to the footage of her dressed in black from last month and the BC signed at the edge of her painting, police believe she came to the gallery twice, once for the Tunnard and a second time for a bronze panther. Why she left without the statue is anyone’s guess... (CON'T page A9) →
WEIRD WEATHER CONTINUES, page B2 → PHOTOS OF MONARCH CIRCLE THE WEB, page D5 →