A Budget rental truck that was recovered in West Seattle yesterday had been stolen from North Seattle but the seven valuable art pieces that were in it are gone.

Early Thursday morning, Dec. 12, officers arrived at a hotel near North 145th Street and Aurora Avenue North to take a stolen truck report.

Seven paintings had been in the back of the truck, being moved from a gallery in Pioneer Square when the theft occurred while the truck was in the parking lot of the hotel, the complainant reported.

The investigation was handed over to the SPD Auto Theft Unit.

Sunday morning, Dec. 15 officers in West Seattle responded to a suspicious call in the 3400 Block of SW Walnut Street. A caller saw the unoccupied parked truck and thought it might be the truck that had been featured on a televised news report. Officers confirmed it was the truck in question but the artwork was gone.

Detectives are seeking information about the missing artwork. There were seven paintings. View the list of stolen art.
Auto Theft detectives are still investigating the case. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Yamashita at (206) 684-8945 or Sergeant Backstrom at (206) 684-8948.