A Buddha statue valued at $1.5 million, which was stolen from a gallery in the Beverly Grove area, has been recovered and a suspect has been arrested for receiving stolen property, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The suspect, Justin Livick, 44, was apprehended on Saturday along with the nearly 250-pound statue. The exact location where the statue was found remains unknown, as well as the identity of the person who stole it from the Barakat Gallery on North La Cienega Boulevard in the early hours of September 18.
Records show that Livick was booked on Saturday night and released early Sunday morning, with a court date set for October 19.
The theft occurred at around 3:45 a.m. on September 18. Fayez Barakat, the gallery owner, revealed to KTLA5 that the statue dates back to Japan’s Edo Period (1603-1867).
Barakat expressed his attachment to the statue, stating that it was displayed in his backyard before being moved to the gallery for public enjoyment.
Surveillance footage showed the suspect breaking into the gallery through a driveway gate and using a dolly to transport the statue onto a truck, completing the whole operation in just 25 minutes.
Barakat described how the thief secured the statue with a rope or chain before loading it into a rental van, leaving the owner heartbroken.
Paul Henderson, director of Barakat’s Los Angeles location, expressed astonishment at the theft, considering the statue’s weight and size. He stated that the sculpture is a valuable, unique, and historically significant piece, making its resale very difficult.
The sculpture is attributed to artist Tadazou Iinuma and bears an inscription indicating its commission by religious figure Ryozen for the Yudo-no-San Temple on Mount Yudono in Japan.
Barakat expressed hope that the thief did not steal the statue for its bronze value, emphasizing its historical importance. He speculated that the thief may have been hired specifically to steal the statue.
Barakat Gallery has locations in Los Angeles, London, and Seoul. Anyone with information about the theft is urged to contact the Los Angeles Police Department at 1-877-275-5273.
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