Gold stolen in smash-and-grab at Rice Northwest rock museum in Washington County

[Insurrection]

Police in Washington County say a person broke into the Rice Northwest
Museum of Rocks and Minerals and stole several gold items from a large
display case.

Washington County Sheriff痴 Office said deputies responded to a break-in
alarm at the unincorporated Washington County museum around 2:20 a.m.
Sunday to find one of the museum痴 windows broken. Inside, deputies and
museum staff found the display case shattered and the gold items missing.

Security camera footage shows a person dressed in all black clothing with
a black ski mask using a sledgehammer to break a window.

Sheriff痴 deputies tried to surround the area and use dogs to track the
burglar, but the person escaped.

The Washington County Sheriff痴 Office did not disclose the value of the
items stolen.

The museum was founded in 1952 and operates in the former home of its
founders, Richard and Helen Rice.

In 1997, the museum was formally reestablished as a nonprofit. The museum
has over 20,000 rock and mineral specimens, according to its website, and
each room has been converted to a gallery for different types of rocks.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Washington
County Sheriff痴 Office at 503-846-2700.

憂ayati Ramakrishnan; jramak...@oregonian.com

https://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/2023/12/burglar-steals-gold-
from-rice-northwest-rock-museum-display-in-washington-county.html