The Englewood (Colorado) Police Department has recovered a painting of President George Washington that was stolen from a storage facility in January 2024.
On January 22, 2024, Englewood Police received a report of the theft from a storage facility in the 3300 block of South Santa Fe Drive. The stolen artwork, an early 1800s painting of the nation’s first president, remained missing despite a collaborative investigation between the Englewood Police Department and the FBI Denver Field Office.
In March 2025 a Metro Denver Crime Stoppers tip provided a crucial lead, suggesting that multiple individuals may have been involved in the theft. Through further investigation, an Englewood Police Department investigator identified a person who was believed to be in possession of the artwork.
The investigator contacted the individual, who confirmed that he had acquired the painting but had not known it was stolen. He explained that while he was staying at a Denver hotel in 2024, a hotel clerk had given him the painting after finding it abandoned in a vacated room. Because of the widespread publicity surrounding the theft, he hesitated to come forward at the time.
After two weeks of negotiations between police and a representative of the possessor, the painting was voluntarily surrendered to law enforcement on March 28. Fortunately, the artwork itself appears largely undamaged, with only minor cosmetic damage to the frame. The painting, which was insured, will be turned over to the insurance company.
Originally published in the May 2025 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2025 Maine Antique Digest
