[MSN] Bata Shoe Museum theft: Second arrest in golden slipper investigation.

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Jul. 4 2006 10:27 PM ET  
Second arrest in golden slipper investigation
CTV.ca News Staff

These jewel encrusted slippers were stolen from the Bata Shoe Museum.
Photo:
http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20060704/slippers_arrest_0607
04/20060704?hub=TorontoHome

Toronto police arrested a second man in the investigation of stolen
jewel-encrusted slippers from the Bata Shoe Museum in January. 
Police say Mico Petric, 33, was arrested Tuesday morning and is now facing
theft charges. 
His arrest is in addition to Filip Djukic, 35, who was arrested and charged
for theft of the rare slippers in March. 
Tuesday's arrest is the latest chapter in a bizarre story that started when
the slippers, once worn by the prince of Hyderabad in the 1790s, disappeared
from their display case at the Bata Shoe Museum. 
Also taken in the alleged heist was a gold anklet and toe ring with a
combined value of $56,000. 
Studded with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, and embroidered with gold, the
ceremonial slippers are valued at $160,000. 
Their loss sparked a police investigation and pleas for help from the Bata
family and the museum that bears their name. 
Several days after the slippers disappeared, Sonja Bata - wife of Czech-born
shoe magnate Thomas Bata - offered a $25,000 reward for the slippers return.

Police reviewed museum security camera video tapes and tried to discover who
would want the museum pieces. Adding to the intrigue, investigators released
photos of people who appeared to be at a party, saying police wanted to
speak with people in the pictures. 

But another photograph led to a break in the case. 

On Feb. 7, a customer walked into the Korner Colour photo lab wearing
sunglasses and a black toque. He wanted five eight-by-ten-inch prints of
images he downloaded onto the shop's digital editing machine. 
The shop's owner recognized the slippers, anklet and toe ring in the digital
images and secretly snapped a picture of the customer. 
Djukic later surrendered to police, but it took an anonymous phone call to
the museum 12 hours later saying the missing items were in a bag across the
street before they were recovered. 

Police have given no details on how the investigation led to Tuesday's
second arrest.

http://toronto.ctv.ca/