A story is ricocheting around the news and real estate web because of its titillating mix of San Francisco wealth and the romance of art crime. An abandoned home said to be owned by Halsey Minor has been squatted in by someone who was looting the Pacific Heights house’s art collection.
The realtor selling the property eventually caught on and got the police to nab the art thief/squatter. All of the $300,000 worth of paintings have been recovered:
ABC News notes that the paintings were sold to pawn shops and via social media for less than their appraised value, and all but two were quickly recovered. The outlet also called the mansion “unkempt” and said that police say it’s unclear who actually owns the stolen artwork. Curbed SF and Business Insider both name the property owner as CNET founder Halsey Minor
Alleged Mansion Squatter Plunders $300,000 in Fine Art (I09)
