# French investigators recover stolen Renoirs using DNA and vehicle tracking

> French police used DNA and vehicle tracking to recover two stolen Renoir paintings and make arrests after a museum heist.
- Title: French investigators recover stolen Renoirs using DNA and…
- Summary: French police used DNA and vehicle tracking to recover two stolen Renoir paintings and make arrests after a museum heist. French investigators recovered two…
- Keywords: dna, vehicle tracking, stolen renoirs, museum heist, french police, criminal association, organized theft, painting theft, cagnes-sur-mer, marseille prosecutor, news, local
- Source: Seattletimes — https://seattletimes.com/entertainment/dna-and-vehicle-tracking-help-french-investigators-recover-stolen-renoirs-and-makes-arrests
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: dna, vehicle tracking, stolen renoirs, museum heist, french police, criminal association, organized theft, painting theft, cagnes-sur-mer, marseille prosecutor, news, local
## DNA evidence leads to recovery
French investigators recovered two stolen Renoir paintings using dna found on a protective cover.

> DNA left on a protective painting cover helped investigators recover two stolen Renoirs
## Four suspects face preliminary charges
Four men were given preliminary charges for organized theft and criminal association in the Sept. 8 museum heist.

> Four men were given preliminary charges in the investigation into the Sept. 8 theft
## Paintings show damage and value
One painting had a tear and the other slight frame damage, valued at 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million).

> One painting, "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano," suffered a tear. The other, "Young Woman at the Well," had slight damage to its frame
## Thieves used electric saw to enter
Thieves cut through a fence with an electric saw, entered the museum, and cut clips securing four paintings.

> The thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence, entered the museum through the ground floor and cut clips securing the frames of four paintings
## Vehicle tracking identifies suspects
DNA matched a 29-year-old under investigation in drug trafficking, who met with three others after the theft.

> The DNA found on the abandoned cover matched that of a 29-year-old already under investigation in a drug trafficking case
## Suspects hide paintings behind wall
Two suspects hid paintings behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft.

> The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft
## Arrests made for art heist
Four suspects were arrested for theft, concealment, and criminal association after the museum heist.

> The two men suspected of carrying out the museum theft have been given preliminary charges of "theft committed by an organized gang" and "criminal association"
## Key takeaway

French investigators recovered two stolen Renoir paintings and arrested four suspects using DNA evidence and vehicle tracking data from the museum theft.