An Albuquerque police officer set out to search a former meth lab in a condemned apartment, but he ended up discovering valuable artwork instead.
The officer found a portfolio of prints by Al Momaday, a late American Indian artist who died in 1981. He took them to the Albuquerque Museum, where a curator placed their value at $33,000.
"Knowing this, and knowing all the history about this apartment, I knew [whoever] left this property behind had no lawful reason to be in possession of this [artwork]," the officer wrote in his report.
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Officials believe the artwork may have been stolen, and the case is under investigation.
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