Every now and then, journalists come across stories so extraordinary that even the most experienced among them do a double take. Such was the case with the audacious jewel heist that unfolded at the Louvre in Paris last Sunday.
In a scene reminiscent of a high-stakes heist thriller, four bold individuals employed a cherry picker truck to scale the museum’s facade. They breached a second-floor window, swiftly making off with up to $100 million worth of French crown jewels. In less than ten minutes, they vanished into the Parisian streets on motor scooters, leaving behind a spectacle one might expect from a “Pink Panther” film.
Having lived in Paris, I’ve reported on numerous headline-making events, from the tragic passing of Princess Diana to the devastating terror attacks and the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral fire. This latest caper adds another intriguing chapter to that list.
On October 21, 2025, I had the opportunity to report live from the Louvre Museum entrance in Paris, with the support of my skilled team. Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot was on hand to cover the unfolding story.
Fortunately, I wasn’t alone in tackling this complex narrative. I was accompanied by a top-notch team, including veteran cameraman and producer John Templeton, and Simon Owen, who has been producing in Paris since the 1990s, along with Cicely Medintzeff. We were also equipped with a trusty Mercedes van and a reliable driver.
The journey began on a slightly rocky note, with a few production bags going missing on our flight from London to Paris. Nevertheless, John, ever resourceful, managed to make do. As we engaged with people at the airport, including a friendly American couple from Washington state, it became clear that the heist had already captured the city’s—and the world’s—attention.
Our next challenge was finding a spot to do our live shots. Arriving by night, the road near the museum was blocked by police on one side, so we ended up backing our way in on the other side. We found a place in front of the iconic pyramid-shaped entrance to the museum. Night or day, it’s one of the great backdrops around — as we talked about a terrible crime.
New footage purportedly shows a person in a yellow jacket beside a display case amid the Louvre heist. (BFMTV)
The next morning, we went straight to the scene of the crime — the back side of the museum. It took us about five or six times to get our video re-creation of the heist correct, adding to our recognition of the thieves’ skills. Except for a parked police car, even at that time, there wasn’t a lot of security around. There was no museum video of the break-in. The crooks beat the alarms.
We weren’t the only ones gawking. A small crowd, including American tourists, stared up and wondered. “It looks incredibly easy,” one told us. “Weird,” another sighed.
Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot reports outside the Louvre Museum, showing the second-floor window where a break-in occurred, in Paris on Oct. 21, 2025. (Fox News)
But the big crowds were back in front of the museum. Even though it was closed that day (it had been shut following the robbery), throngs were there — many wondering about the crime. Many more just taking the usual Instagram-style selfies with the Louvre.
With our TV equipment spread on the pavement for live shots, we became another source of attention. “Where did it happen?” one person asked. “When is the museum opening again?” asked another. One more American tourist came up and described how he and his wife had been to the museum the day before the robbery and could already tell the security was terrible.
Police officers stand near the pyramid of the Louvre Museum after reports of a robbery, in Paris, France, October 19, 2025. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters)
Overall, though, except for a few ringers, the people around us, while quite intent, were very polite. It probably didn’t hurt that this story was more “wow” than political.
As more details of the crime emerged, the story only got stranger. How the thieves got their truck just 25 miles outside Paris. How were they in such a rush they left behind a crown studded with more than 1,300 diamonds (they got eight other pieces). And how Police — making up for lost time — gathered evidence, including a construction-style vest, a glove, a license plate and video of the suspects making their getaway on a highway outside Paris.
And the French were doing another thing they’re good at — finger-pointing and blame-casting. President Emmanuel Macron has enough political headaches these days. The last thing he needed was a high-profile catastrophe. He promised the culprits would be caught. To her credit, the director of the museum offered her resignation (it was declined) but got a good grilling by the French Senate.
Fox News team, from left, Greg Palkot, cameraman John Templeton and producer Simon Owen, at the Louvre in Paris on Oct. 21, 2025. (Fox News)
Technically, we only had a few problems. We mostly don’t use satellite dishes anymore for live shots — just a small device with a bunch of cell phone chips to get the internet. That works fine — except when there are 500 other curious people using their phones around you! And the autumn Paris weather played nice — just a few gusts knocking down some lamps and a few showers prompting umbrellas to save our gear!
All of this, as we noted, was a race against time for a team of 100 French police investigators — one of the biggest manhunts in French history — to catch the thieves before they had a chance to break up the jewelry, re-cut the gems and melt down the gold and silver to be sold off. Part of a growing trend of museum heists.
In addition to hearing my on-air colleagues express their astonishment about the crime, we also took our share of ribbing about the “tough” assignment of being sent to Paris. And, indeed, it was lovely seeing my old hometown again. Paris is stunning. But I also must note, aside from a fine brasserie wrap dinner, the trip was more about crowding onto café chairs to write scripts and use facilities — plus Uber Eats, French style.
Fox News senior foreign affairs correspondent Greg Palkot with Paris producer Cicely Medintzeff at the Louvre in Paris on Oct. 21, 2025. (Fox News)
So now we wait to see how this incredible French crime caper pans out. Most people we heard from were pretty sure the bandits would get caught and the museum’s security would be updated. But they had their doubts that the priceless jewelry — described as France’s “soul” — would ever be retrieved. The Louvre has reopened. Let’s just hope this film-style story has a happy ending.
