Thieves crash SUV into museum of original San Francisco Wells Fargo bank, steal Gold Rush era nuggets

© Kristin Bender, Associated Press

A vehicle is seen smashed into the window of the Wells Fargo History Museum in downtown San Francisco, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015. Thieves in the SUV smashed through the glass doors of the museum and made off with gold nuggets on display.

Thieves in ski masks smashed a stolen sport utility vehicle into the site of the original Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco's Financial District early Tuesday and held a security guard at gunpoint before making off with gold nuggets from California's Gold Rush era, police said.

The crash-and-grab heist - the latest of a series of similar incidents in San Francisco - happened about 2:30 a.m. at the bank's museum at 420 Montgomery St.

The intruders rammed the GMC Suburban through the museum's glass revolving doors, police said. A security guard investigating the crash was held at gunpoint by the assailants, who then smashed into display cases and made off with historic nuggets and gold ore, police said.

The robbers, wearing ski masks, hoodies and jeans, abandoned the SUV inside and fled in a four-door car, possibly a Ford Taurus. Police said at least one suspect was armed with a handgun.

It was unclear how much the bandits made off with in the scheme, but one gold nugget was visible at the crime scene early Tuesday morning. According the the museum's website, "an impressive display of gold dust and ore from California's Gold Country," are on exhibit in the building.

The museum is located on the site where Wells Fargo Bank opened in 1852. Besides the gold, the museum features other artifacts, including a historic red and gold stagecoach - the emblem of the nation's fourth largest bank. The stagecoach was not damaged in the robbery.

"We're disturbed this happened to the Wells Fargo History Museum, but are grateful no team member was harmed," a company spokesman, Ruben Pulido, said in a statement.

Officials said the museum will reopen once the damage is cleared.

People walking past the ravaged entry early Tuesday stepped over piles of broken glass, many snapping pictures while staring quizzically at the wreckage of the audacious crime.

"People seem to be driving cars into things all the time in San Francisco," said Justin Hogsett, who works at a nearby restaurant and ventured over to the museum after hearing about the burglary.

Justin Flores, 42, has worked maintenance in a building across the street from the museum for eight years. He said he's never witnessed such a bold crime in the Financial District.

"This is terrible," he said. "It's a museum. People are crazy. They have no respect. This is where schools come on field trips."

The burglary is the latest in the Bay Area in which thieves have rammed vehicles into businesses.

On Jan. 19, crooks backed a U-Haul van through the front of the Patagonia store on North Point Street near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, loaded it up with pricey goods and sped off, authorities said.

In May, someone crashed a Pontiac Grand Am into the glass facade of the Apple Store in Berkeley's popular Fourth Street shopping district and escaped with electronics, leaving the car behind.

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