Caught on camera: Thief steals ancient mammoth tusk from art gallery

SEATTLE — Police are searching for a man who stole an ancient mammoth tusk from an art gallery in downtown Seattle.

The theft was caught on store surveillance cameras and right in front of the store’s owner.

Now, changes are being made to the way business will be performed in the future.

Twelve thousand years of history was snatched in a matter of seconds.

“It’s five to six feet long and fits right on your shoulder,” Kathy Lee, the owner of Fossil and Stone, said.

“I’m heartbroken. I spend more waking hours here than at home, so I consider this my second home.”

On Tuesday, security video captured the moment a man walked into Lee’s shop and immediately she said something did not seem right.

“I had a bad feeling, so I was armed with my pepper spray and my Taser. Our other team member had her bat ready,” Lee said.

On video, the man appeared to be transfixed by the giant tusk.

Then, without warning, the man grabs the tusk and bolts out a side entrance.

Lee said she followed after the man, shooting pepper spray in an effort to get the tusk back.

“My adrenaline was so high that it didn’t hurt and I pepper sprayed the car, inside the car,” said Lee.

The man got away in a car that she later learned was stolen.

The loss of the relic hurts Lee a lot and that is because her own father restored the tusk while also carving and sculpting many of the other artifacts at the gallery.

“This has been called a sanctuary. And I will keep it peaceful and I will keep it strong,” Lee said.

Because of that, all customers will have to be buzzed in. Lee also plans to hire an armed security guard.

Lee said she refuses to let history repeat itself.

“I’m not giving up. I want to stay here. I’ve been here for 10 months and I want to be here for 10 years,” Lee said.

The theft was the store’s second in just a month. The store had also been burglarized.

Lee said she is convinced both thefts are connected.

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