A truck with an extendable ladder arrived at the Louvre’s Seine-facing side. The thieves raised the ladder in order to reach a second-floor balcony to enter the museum, according to police. The Louvre had only been open for half an hour at the time of the theft, according to the museum's posted hours of operation.

Parisians reacted on Sunday to the news suspects had been arrested in connection with the theft of crown jewels from the Louvre museum, a week after the heist that stunned the world and sparked a massive manhunt.

Scores of investigators have been involved in chasing down those suspected of the heist, which Louvre director Laurence des Cars called a “terrible failure.” French media first broke the news of the arrests,

Laurence des Cars, director of the Louvre, also told the outlet that the building’s surveillance system had a blind spot on the perimeter that likely helped enable the heist, which was likely was likely the most expensive ever pulled off at the grand museum.

A week after thieves stormed the Louvre and ripped eight priceless pieces from France’s crown jewels, the country is nursing a deep cultural wound — even as Paris authorities on Sunday announced arrests tied to the haul.

German businessman Alexander Böcker was reading the news with his wife when she told him about a robbery at the Louvre in Paris. They soon saw an opportunity.