A man from Thousand Oaks is facing a slew of charges following a domestic violence investigation, which serendipitously uncovered links to multiple art thefts. Ryan Bloom, 31, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and being in the prohibited possession of firearms and ammunition, as reported by Nixle media release.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s SWAT team had to safely serve a search warrant at Bloom's residence on the 1300 block of Del Verde Court due to his known possession of firearms. During the search, investigators found not only several firearms and rounds of ammunition, but also multiple high-value paintings previously reported stolen. According to the KTLA news report, at least one of these artworks has been tied to a property theft in San Bernardino earlier this year.
Bloom was taken into custody without incident, and the items of evidentiary value, including the stolen paintings, were seized. The investigation into the origin of the stolen art is ongoing, and officials suspect there could be additional links to thefts in the San Bernardino area. The Nixle media release indicates that Bloom's arsenal and ammunition were forbidden due to a prior felony conviction.
His charges are extensive: domestic violence, multiple felony assaults, including assault with a firearm and sexual assault, and weapons violations. He was booked at the Pre-Trial Detention Facility in downtown Ventura with bail set at $1 million, and, according to the police statement, was set to "again appear in court on Friday." The Property Crimes Unit of the Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the full extent of Bloom's alleged involvement in art theft.
