Advertisement

Gold nuggets stolen from Wells Fargo in crash and grab

The heist resembled a 19th-century stage coach robbery, but the thieves used ski masks instead of bandanas to hide their faces.

By Frances Burns

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Armed robbers in a stolen SUV crashed into the Wells Fargo Bank museum early Tuesday, making off with gold nuggets valued at $10,000.

Police said the robbers abandoned the SUV, leaving it stuck in the museum's revolving door. They drove off in a sedan.

Advertisement

Officer Grace Galpandan, a police spokeswoman, said their haul consisted of 4 to 10 ounces of gold; a preliminary estimate put its value at $10,000.

The museum, located in Wells Fargo's international headquarters, pays tribute to the bank's origins during the California Gold Rush of 1848, and the robbery resembled those of 19th-century bandits. The thieves held a security guard at gunpoint while they got the nuggets from a display case.

Instead of bandanas, the robbers used ski masks to hide their faces.

Ruben Pulido, a Wells Fargo spokesman, said none of the historic stage coaches in the museum were damaged, and the bank was grateful no one was hurt.

Latest Headlines