Copyright KABC-TV
Seven minutes is all it took to artfully plunder the world's most famous museum. On Sunday, four masked thieves stole eight pieces of jewelry from the Louvre valued at $102 million, sparking a national outcry and nationwide manhunt. The daring heist took just seven minutes, leaving investigators searching for answers as to how one of the world's most secure museums was robbed in such a brief window of time. Here is a minute-by-minute breakdown of how it all went down, based on what investigators know so far. 9:30 a.m.: Thieves arrive at the Louvre A truck with an extendable ladder arrived at the Louvre's Seine-facing side. The thieves raised the ladder in order to reach a second-floor balcony to enter the museum, according to police. The Louvre had only been open for half an hour at the time of the theft, according to the museum's posted hours of operation. 9:34 a.m.: The break-in and theft Two of the thieves, dressed as construction workers, scaled the ladder and used an angle grinder to cut through a window in the Apollo Gallery, just a few rooms away from where the "Mona Lisa" is displayed. The thieves then smashed two display cases using the angle grinder and removed eight pieces of jewelry belonging to Emperor Napoleon and his wife, according to police. 9:37 a.m.: Alarm is triggered The museum alarm was triggered, alerting museum staff and authorities to the theft. 9:38 a.m.: Escape Fewer than four minutes after they broke into the gallery, the thieves fled, descending the ladder and escaping on two motorbikes, according to investigators, heading southeast toward the A6 highway and the city of Lyon. In their hasty escape, the robbers dropped one of the stolen pieces of jewelry the crown of Empress Eugénie, which was adorned with over a thousand diamonds. The crown was recovered, but was damaged, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati told ABC News. Police arrived minutes later and ultimately found two angle grinders, a blowtorch, gasoline, gloves, a walkie-talkie, a blanket, and the crown at the scene. Police also found a yellow vest that was apparently dropped by one of the fleeing perpetrators at the corner of Pont de Sully and Avenue Henri IV, several blocks from the Louvre. 10:34 a.m.: The theft is publicly announced "A robbery took place this morning at the opening of the @MuseeLouvre," Dati posted on X. "No injuries to report. I am on site alongside the museum teams and the police. Investigations underway." 10:37 a.m.: The Louvre announced it's closed
