Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
© RMN – Grand Palais (Louvre Museum) Mathieu RabaudA woman has been charged with theft at the Louvre in Paris last month, French media reported.
The 38-year-old, whose name has not been released, is charged with complicity in organized theft and criminal conspiracy to commit a crime. She appeared before a magistrate, who ordered her to remain in custody.
The woman was arrested earlier this week with four others. Two men who were previously arrested have now been charged with theft and criminal conspiracy after officials said they “partially admitted” their involvement in the robbery.
Jewelery worth €88m (£76m; $102m) was taken from the world’s most visited museum on 19 October.
Louvre Museum
Louvre MuseumFour men committed the lightning robbery during the day.
Two of the alleged thieves – who were arrested earlier – later admitted their involvement, while the fourth has yet to be caught.
Appearing before a magistrate on Saturday, the woman broke down in tears as she confirmed she lived in the northern Paris suburb of La Courneuve, a journalist working for the AFP news agency reported.
She was one of five people arrested earlier this week in and around the French capital. One of the detainees was released without charge.
However, one of the five is believed to have participated in the robbery.
On the day of the heist, the robbers arrived at 09:30 (0730 GMT), just after the museum opened to visitors, Paris prosecutor Laure Bequo said last week.
The suspects arrived in a stolen mechanical lift mounted on a vehicle to gain access to the Galerie d’Apollon (Gallery of Apollo) through a balcony near the Seine River. The men used a circular saw to break open the display cases that housed the jewelry.
Prosecutors said the thieves were inside for four minutes and fled on two scooters waiting outside at 09:38 before moving on to cars.
The jewelry was not found.
Following the incident, security measures around French cultural institutions have been stepped up.
The Louvre has transferred some of its most valuable jewels to the Bank of France since the heist.
