Mysterious theft of valuable art stuns Vancouver gallery owner

A bronze life-sized sculpture of a horse’s head that weighs about 90 kilograms was stolen “in a flash” from a gallery on West Hastings Street in Vancouver.

What’s remarkable is that the art, by Richard Forbes of Fort Langley, took three men using a hydraulic lift to get inside The Gallery George in the first place.

Yet on Tuesday night, it was stolen so quickly.

“You can't just simply run, smash and grab,” said Theresa Mura, the gallery’s owner and director.

“It was definitely planned. They had to have some type of dolly and many people to help get it out,” she insisted.

Mura described to CTV News how, shortly after she left work on Tuesday night, a passerby noticed someone trying to pick the lock.

Police were called, went to have a look, and reported that everything was fine.

About 15 minutes later, the alarm company called to say that glass had been shattered.

Once again police were called, and they arrived quickly, but by then the horse sculpture was already gone — taken right off its pedestal in the shop’s window.

“It's a very distinctive statue, so if anybody does see this as they are going about their day-to-day on the streets, give us a call please,” said Vancouver Police Department’s Const. Tania Visintin.

The art is worth about $20,000, but Mura is more concerned someone plans to melt it down, and then it would be lost for good.

“That would be really upsetting,” she said, fighting back tears.

“My artists are so dear to me, and they support me just as much as I support them,” she Mura.