A thief stole a gold nugget worth $82,100, and the Long Beach Police Department is asking for the public’s help in tracking down the culprit and recovering the precious metal.
The nugget was stolen at about 11:45 a.m. Thursday from the Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., according to LBPD spokesperson Richard Mejia.
According to the Convention Center’s website, the 60th annual Long Beach Expo is being held at that location this weekend. The collectibles show caters to “collectors of all kinds,” the site added.
Surveillance video captured a man apparently taking the gold from a display booth.
Police did not identify the victim, but a flyer asking for the public’s help said anyone with information should call Bob Campbell of Robert Campbell Rare Coins of Salt Lake City. Campbell can be reached at 801-467-8636 or 801-414-6623. A $10,000 reward is available for help in tracking down the precious metal.
The nugget has a mass of 821 grams, which is more than 1.8 pounds, and it was reportedly found in the Yolo River near Weed, California “years ago,” according to documentation describing the nugget.
It is just under 90% pure gold, 6% silver and 4% copper.