Arrest Made in Recovery of Stolen $1.5 Million Statue of Buddha near West Hollywood

The Los Angeles Police Department has apprehended Justin Livick on suspicion of possessing a stolen statue of Buddha.

An arrest has been made in connection with the recovery of the Statue of Buddha that was stolen from an art gallery in close proximity to West Hollywood, California

Livick, 44, was subsequently cited and released from custody early Sunday morning, subsequent to the retrieval of the statue of Buddha from a truck discovered at a location undisclosed to the public on Saturday. The statue of Buddha, carrying an estimated value of $1.5 million, was unlawfully taken from the Barakat Gallery in the early hours of Monday, September 18, an event captured by surveillance cameras. Regrettably, the gallery has not yet responded to requests for comments on the incident.

Authorities have indicated that it remains uncertain whether Livick personally stole the statue of Buddha or acquired it through an intermediary. Livick’s plea or legal representation status remains undisclosed at this time.

The pilfered artifact, a four-foot-tall bronze weighing approximately 250 lbs., was filched from the Southern California gallery just before 4 a.m

Surveillance footage suggests the involvement of a rented moving van positioned near the gallery’s entrance gate. This historically significant statue of Buddha hails from Japan’s Edo Period (1603–1867) and is believed to have been specially commissioned as the focal point of a temple.

Gallery proprietor Fayez Barakat safeguarded the statue of Buddha for over half a century. Remarkably, amidst the gallery’s assortment of numerous valuable artifacts, the culprits singled out the Buddha statue, bypassing all other items during the 25-minute heist.

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