DNA and vehicle-tracking help French investigators recover stolen Renoirs and makes arrests

NANTERRE, France (AP) — DNA left on a protective painting cover helped investigators recover two stolen Renoirs and uncover what they suspected were preparations for another art heist, a French prosecutor said Monday.

Four men were given preliminary charges in the investigation into the Sept. 8 theft from the small Renoir Museum in the town of Cagnes-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. The charges include organized theft and criminal association, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone said.

One painting, “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano,” suffered a tear. The other, “Young Woman at the Well,” had slight damage to its frame, Bessone said. He estimated their combined value at 4.2 million euros ($4.7 million).

The thieves used an electric saw to cut through a fence, entered the museum through the ground floor and cut clips securing the frames of four paintings. An alarm sounded and police officers arrived four minutes later, a swift response that “apparently caused the perpetrators to panic,” Bessone said.

"As they fled, they were unable to take all four paintings and abandoned two of them, which were later found in a protective sleeve,” he said.

The DNA found on the abandoned cover matched that of a 29-year-old already under investigation in a drug trafficking case in which police were tracking his vehicle, Bessone said.

Vehicle-tracking data showed that the suspect, accompanied by a 41-year-old man, went to the home of a third man shortly after the theft, Bessone said.

Police surveillance also showed that the 29-year-old on Oct. 3 visited the Maeght Foundation in Saint-Paul-de-Vence — home to a large modern art collection.

The suspect then met with a fourth man known to police from art theft and forgery cases in 2001 and 2003.

Bessone said the arrests were prompted by the “very strong suspicion that another heist was imminent.”

The two men suspected of carrying out the museum theft have been given preliminary charges of “theft committed by an organized gang” and “criminal association,” among other counts. They were sent to prison pending further investigation. The have denied wrongdoing, Bessone said.

The third suspect acknowledged receiving the paintings at his home and hiding them behind a wall built beneath a staircase after the theft. Investigators recovered the Renoirs from the hiding place, Bessone said.

The fourth suspect acknowledged seeing photographs of the paintings but said he did not immediately recognize them. Both of those suspects were given preliminary charges of “concealment” of stolen paintings. They were released under judicial supervision and barred from leaving France.

Two additional people who had been arrested were released without charge.

The Renoir Museum occupies the final home of the leading French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who lived there until his death in 1919. It is the best-known attraction in Cagnes-sur-Mer, a Mediterranean coastal town between Cannes and Nice.

The theft revived painful memories of the spectacular theft of crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris last year and renewed calls for better security and funding at the many cultural sites across France.

Christian Sainte, national director of judicial police, said Monday that the country “is repeatedly targeted by organized criminal groups that carry out theft operations targeting valuable objects that are part of our cultural heritage” in museums, castles, places of worship, private homes and art galleries.

French museums recorded 23 cases in 2025 and about 10 this year, he said.

Corbet wrote from Paris.

Recovered paintings "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" right, and "Young Woman at the Well," stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer are on display at the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Heritage in Marseille, France, Monday Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Recovered paintings "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano" and "Young Woman at the Well," stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer are on display at the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Heritage in Marseille, France, Monday Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

FILE - The entrance of the Renoir Museum is pictured after thieves stole four valuable Renoir paintings, in Cagnes-sur-Mer, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, file)

Recovered paintings "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano", right, and "Young Woman at the Well," stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer are on display at the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Heritage in Marseille, France, Monday Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Recovered paintings "Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano", right, and "Young Woman at the Well," stolen from the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer are on display at the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Conservation and Restoration of Heritage in Marseille, France, Monday Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays added rookie right-hander Brody Hopkins to their AL Championship Series roster and dropped lefty Garrett Cleavinger while the Cleveland Guardians added right-hander Slade Cecconi.

The Rays made no other changes to their 26-man roster ahead of Game 1 Monday night against the Guardians. The AL East champions are carrying 14 hitters and 12 pitchers again in this round after sweeping the New York Yankees in the best-of-five Division Series.

The Guardians are carrying 13 pitchers after going to five games against the Chicago White Sox before advancing on Saturday night. Cecconi replaces utilityman Daniel Schneemann.

Cecconi was 5-7 with a 4.91 ERA in 28 games, including 21 starts. He moved to the bullpen in August and posted a 5.93 ERA in 13 2/3 innings.

Hopkins had seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in six appearances this season but also walked six and posted a 5.06 ERA. He made his major league debut on Sept. 13. Cleavinger had a 4.79 ERA in 41 1/3 innings over 51 appearances. He didn’t pitch in the ALDS vs. the Yankees.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The Tampa Bay Rays celebrate the team's win in Game 3 of baseball's American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Cleveland Guardians players and coaches celebrate after Game 5 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)