Police pursue suspect after German gun shop burglaries; Renaissance art stolen in Italy

In Germany, police are searching for a suspect following a series of burglaries at gun shops in Friedberg and Butzbach. Two men reportedly broke into the shops during the early hours of Sunday, stealing several blank-firing weapons. After the thefts, the suspects fled in a black SUV. Following a high-speed chase on the A5 and A661 motorways, police intercepted the vehicle at a furniture store parking lot in Frankfurt. One suspect was apprehended at the scene, and several stolen weapons were recovered, but a second individual managed to flee and remains at large.

In Italy, significant Renaissance artworks by Antonello da Messina were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina in Sicily. Thieves bypassed alarm systems to enter the exhibition rooms, stealing three of the five panels from the San Gregorio polyptych and a double-sided panel depicting the Madonna and Christ. Museum Director Marisa Mercurio described the incident as a “great loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.” Authorities are currently investigating the precise methods used by the thieves.