$27M Calif. art heist may be a hoax

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A reported $27 million California art robbery may be a hoax and the alleged victims could be suspects, authorities say.

Monterey County Sheriff's Office Cmdr. Mike Richards said Tuesday that inconsistencies in the stories of A. Benjamin Amadio and Ralph Kennaugh, who reported their home had been burglarized and 13 art pieces stolen, has cast doubt on their claims, The Salinas Californian reported.

The pair said someone broke into their rented Pebble Beach, Calif., home on Sept. 25, taking a rare Jackson Pollock painting among other items.

"(Amadio and Kennaugh) are suspects of something, but I can't say what," Richards told the newspaper, pointing to an alleged lack of cooperation and changing stories.