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Valuable Picasso Drawing Stolen From SF Gallery

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A piece of art worth several hundred thousand dollars was stolen Tuesday morning from a gallery near Union Square, a police spokesman said.

A man walked into the gallery, located in the 300 block of Geary Street, around 11:40 a.m., took a drawing off the wall and walked out, Officer Albie Esparza said. He was seen getting into a taxicab and leaving the area.

The theft appears to have taken place at the Weinstein Gallery at 383 Geary St., whose collection includes pieces by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and other masters, according to its website.

It was unclear whether the man targeted the piece he took or just grabbed one randomly from the wall, Esparza said. The artwork was described as a pencil-on-paper drawing.

Witnesses described the suspect as a white man about 6 feet tall, between 32 and 35 years old, wearing a dark jacket, light shirt, dark pants, loafers with no socks, and large sunglasses, Esparza said.

Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call San Francisco police at (415) 575-4444, text a tip to TIP411, or call 911.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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