A low-profile antiquities heist earlier this month in San Francisco netted thieves valuable Greek and Japanese artifacts that officials estimate to be worth at least $50,000. According to The Examiner, this is the second such crime to happen this month, and officials aren't sure if they're connected.

The most recent theft happened between August 8 and 11 at an antique shop on Hotaling Place in Jackson Square. While the store in question wasn't named, Foster Gwin Arts & Antiques is located on that street, and sells ancient Greek vases that appear similar in description to the stolen items.

San Francisco police spokesperson Officer Carlos Manfredi told the Ex that thieves managed to score five Japanese and Greek antiques, and that the burglary happened while the store was under construction (much like the great French Laundry wine heist that went down as the restaurant was preparing to construct a new kitchen). Some of the missing Greek items date back to 310 BC, and the Japanese work is from the 1800s.

“Something of this value will stand out to anybody who’s into collecting this type of work,” Manfredi told the paper.

Daniel Stein Antiques, located at 458 Jackson Street, was also burglarized earlier in the month. In the early hours of August 1 thieves boosted roughly $40,000 worth of sterling silver antiques.

Anyone who knows anything about either or the crimes, or antiquities dealers presented with what they believe to be stolen merchandise, can call the SFPD tip line at 415-575-4444.

And everyone should be on the look out for villainous men in fedoras.

Related: Drive-In Jewelry Thieves Smash Into Walnut Creek Tiffany's

A suspect thought to be a man wanted by the FBI for two bank robberies in Irvine, CA was killed after a shootout with SFPD near Buena Vista Park yesterday evening. The FBI, who had been tracking the suspect using the GPS in the BMW he stole in Orange County, alerted SFPD that the so-called "Gen X Bandit" (just look at that slacker look he's sporting) was thought to be in San Francisco. Local cops found the suspect in the vehicle near Buena Vista park around 5:40 p.m. yesterday, at which point he attempted to mow down the officers in the stolen Beamer.

Cops aiming to protect themselves, opened fire on the suspect before he could run them down and the thief was transported to SF General where he died from critical injuries. Authorities have yet to say whether or not the suspect was armed, how long he had been in San Francisco, or even if he has been positively ID'ed as the man the FBI has been looking for.

Still, let this be a lesson to anyone trying to lash out at the yuppie set: Don't steal their luxury vehicles because they're loaded with tracking devices. Stick to your regular Mid-90s Volvo wagons.

Update: Authorities have identified yesterday's BMW-driving suspect as 25-year-old Joshua Smith, but have yet to confirm whether Smith is, in fact, the bank robbing Gen-Xer. Although, if he was only 25, that technically makes him Gen-Y, right? Or whatever we decided came after Generation X? Generation Facebook or something?

[Chron]
[SFExaminer]
[BCN/Appeal]

On Sunday, a group of 15 men armed with automatic rifles and handguns jumped six employees of Unigen, the Fremont-based maker of memory cards and wireless internet adapters, in an early-morning heist at the company's loading docks on Warm Springs road. (Note: maybe take down those driving directions?) Unigen employees were tied up and locked away while the robbers loaded their loot into a moving company truck. Cops, including CHP's cargo theft task force are investigating.

If this whole thing sounds like something out of Hollywood, it's because smuggling black market computer chips was the exact same crime that kicked off six seasons of Nash Bridges.

[Chronicle]