U-Haul truck loaded with ‘irreplaceable’ antiques stolen in Long Beach

A Long Beach antique dealer is still reeling from shock after a U-Haul truck packed with about 130 antique pieces from the 1920s and 1930s was stolen right in front of her home this week.

Khobe DeLuca, who had just presented precious items at the LA Pottery Show in Glendale last weekend, had parked the truck — locked and closed — in front of her home in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. She was planning to return them to her showroom in downtown Los Angeles.

“We saw the truck at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, and by 10:35, it had been completely stolen with literally everything on board, the entire inventory,” DeLuca said, adding the items were all originally created in the Los Angeles-region nearly 100 years ago.

Surveillance video from her neighbor’s security camera showed a mini van pulling up next to the truck,. Then within 90 seconds, a person got into the rental and took off.

“Someone at U-Haul said if you have a pair of scissors and a screwdriver, you can steal the box trucks,” DeLuca said.

The Long Beach Police Department confirmed to NBC Los Angeles that it is continuing with the investigation into the theft.

The rental company said it was able to locate the stolen truck next day, but DeLuca was able to recover only about 20 pieces. The value of the 90-plus items that are still missing is estimated to be over $100,000.

But for Deluca, the stolen collection, which includes paintings, furniture and pottery, is something money cannot buy because of its historic significance and rarity.

“Most of them are are completely one of a kind,” she said.

Among the missing items, two pieces are particularly giving her a heartache due to their uniqueness and beauty.

One is a painting by artist named Juan Duran Tinoco who had a brief career in the 1930s and 1940s. It shows a bucking bronco with a man in a sombrero.

Another piece is a 26-tile table with an ornate wrought iron base. The table features tiles made in the late 20s on the beach in Malibu.

“That’s part of California’s architectural history and decorative history,” DeLuca explained.

She is asking people to keep an eye out for the stolen items because they will be easy to recognize at places like swap meets or second-hand shops.

“If you see these pieces out there, they are distinct that they are one of a kind, and we really do want them to come home,” DeLuca pleaded.

See the full list of stolen antiques here.

Anyone with information was urged to contact DeLuca via Facebook and her business website.