Thieves broke into a gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris early Sunday morning, stole some of France’s priceless crown jewels, and escaped on scooters, as reported by the BBC and the NYT. Around 9:30 a.m. (local time), shortly after the museum had opened to visitors, four masked thieves used a vehicle-mounted electric ladder to gain access to a balcony overlooking the River Seine. Two thieves cut through a window with a disc cutter – setting off security alarms – and entered the Galerie d’Apollon, where they threatened security guards and stole items from two display cases. The thieves snatched eight objects, including a sapphire necklace, an emerald necklace, and a diadem worn by Empress Eugénie, the wife of Napoleon III. Read on for more criminal law news.
Lego My Legos. Robert Lopez, 39, was arrested last week in Lake County, California, after Santa Rosa police discovered tens of thousands of stolen Legos at his house, per this story from the NYT. Tubs and bins were filled with loose pieces, unopened sets lined the hallway floors, and hundreds of disembodied plastic heads on trays were organized in neat rows by facial expression. According to police, Lopez was directing others to steal expensive Lego sets, purchasing the stolen property at a reduced price, and then reselling the sets or individual minifigures at inflated prices. Police added that Lopez’s garage contained about 100 assembled minifigures displayed on shelves, along with more unopened sets, tubs of pieces, and broken-down packaging. Lopez was charged with organized retail theft and conspiracy to commit a felony, among other things.
Sea Otters Stealing Surfboards. Two surfers in Santa Cruz, California, had their boards hijacked last week by aggressive sea otters, according to the NYT and local sources. One of the surfers, Isabella Orduna, a 21-year-old college student, was surfing at a popular surfing spot called Steamer Lane when she felt a nibble on her foot. She rolled into the water, and when she surfaced she found a chunky otter sitting on her board. Orduna tried tipping the board and shouting but to no avail. The otter eventually surrendered the board to Ben Coffey, a marine safety officer with the Santa Cruz Fire Department. Orduna was not injured – the nip did not break the skin – and her board was recovered undamaged. People in the community are calling on surfers to keep their distance for their own safety and that of the otters.
No Shortcuts. On September 2, 2024, extreme runner Michelino Sunseri ascended and descended Grand Teton, the highest mountain in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, in under three hours. The National Park Service responded by charging him with a misdemeanor, as reported by the AP. On his way down the mountain, Sunseri left a switchback and took a path known as the Old Climber’s Trail for two minutes. He later wrote about his record-breaking run on social media. Federal investigators obtained a warrant for his posts and then charged Sunseri with shortcutting a designated trail in the national park, a misdemeanor. Sunseri was convicted in September 2025 but has not yet been sentenced. Federal prosecutors said last week that the charge could be dismissed if Sunseri meets certain conditions over 12 months and the judge agrees.
Ketamine Interdicted in Atlanta. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers say they have seized more than 160 pounds of ketamine this month from two suspected drug smugglers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport in Georgia, according to this story from the UPI. Daijanae Mitchell, a U.S. citizen, allegedly concealed five large plastic bags on an October 11 flight from Paris. The next day, Ryan Bokomba, a British citizen, allegedly arrived from Paris with an additional seven bags. The two suspects were transferred to local authorities for state prosecution. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, ketamine is a Schedule III non-narcotic compound regulated under the Controlled Substances Act. Friends actor Matthew Perry died in 2023 from a ketamine overdose, and his supplier pled guilty in September, as previously reported.
Officer Rescued from Burning Patrol Car. On Monday morning, a police officer in Atlanta, Georgia, apparently responding to a call to assist another officer, lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a single-family home, per this story from the N&O. The house and the patrol car both caught fire. The single occupant of the home was able to get out safely, and three other people helped extinguish the fire and pull the unconscious officer to safety. One of the rescuers, David Pitts, said he broke a window of the patrol car to open the door, upon which the officer fell into his arms. The officer remains in critical condition, and his identity has not been released.
Save Your Seat. Spanish police said Wednesday that they have arrested seven people suspected of stealing more than 1,000 chairs from restaurants and bars in Madrid and elsewhere in two months, as reported by the AP. The thieves allegedly took the chairs at night during August and September from the outdoor seating areas of eighteen different establishments in Madrid and the smaller city of Talavera de la Reina. According to police, the group then resold the chairs in Spain, Morocco, and Romania. The value of the stolen property was estimated to be about 60,000 euros ($69,000). The suspects now face charges of theft and belonging to a criminal organization.
Booklet Marked “Trade Secrets” Yields Charge of Stealing Trade Secrets. Patty Durand of Mableton, Georgia, was arrested Tuesday by Georgia Capitol Police and charged with felony theft of trade secrets. The AP has the story. Durand, a consumer advocate, has been a vocal critic of Georgia Power Co., the state’s only privately owned electric utility. On Tuesday, Durand spoke at a Public Service Commission meeting in opposition to the utility’s request to build new gas-fired power plants. According to the warrant, during a lunch break, Durand was captured on video looking at a booklet labeled “Georgia Power Trade Secrets,” which she allegedly put in her purse and carried out of the room. If convicted, Durand could be imprisoned for up to five years and fined up to $50,000.