SAN FRANCISCO — Wells Fargo Bank officials vowed to reopen a popular corporate museum in the heart of San Francisco’s financial district after thieves smashed a stolen SUV through its front door and made off with historic gold rush nuggets on display.
The museum is a popular destination for schoolchildren and tourists and includes two restored stagecoaches, a working telegraph and other California Gold Rush era memorabilia.
The thieves struck at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when they rammed a Chevrolet Suburban through the museum’s revolving door. They then emerged from the SUV, and one of them held a security guard at gunpoint while the others took up to 10 ounces of gold nuggets from a display case.
The three men escaped in a four-door sedan driven by an accomplice. The security guard was unharmed. The iconic stagecoaches weren’t damaged, bank spokesman Ruben Pulido said.
“Rest assured, the museum will reopen, so it can continue to serve the thousands of visitors and Bay Area residents who visit it each year,” Pulido said. Wells Fargo opened its first branch on the site in 1852, Pulido said.