Italian thieves learned from Liepāja tourists — they also only take what isn't nailed down

A heist has occurred in Italy that suggests the thieves learned from Liepāja beach visitors — grab what isn't secured and disappear before anyone notices.

Four masked professionals ransacked the Magnani-Rocca Foundation in three minutes, snatching Matisse's "Odalisque on the Terrace," Renoir's "Fish," and Cézanne's "Still Life with Cherries." Total value — several million euros, which is roughly what it would cost to buy an actual apartment in Liepāja with a sea view.

"These thieves work faster than our tourists on Liepāja beach," comments local art expert Valdis Krauklis. "They also grab everything that isn't nailed down — umbrellas, buckets, sometimes even other people's sand." Though admittedly, Liepāja thieves usually get caught because the sandy footprints lead straight to their cars.

Particularly hilarious is that the Italian thieves got spooked by the alarm and left the fourth painting. While in Riga there would be a year-long court battle over every artwork, in Liepāja we know — if something's screaming loudly, better leave. That's how we've learned to live with winds that sometimes sound like natural alarm systems.

Police are now reviewing surveillance footage, but knowing Italians, they probably filmed it horizontally with some dad eating spaghetti taking up half the frame.