MAN HELD IN MUSEUM THEFT ATTEMPT : THIRD BREAK-IN AT VENTURA SITE TARGETS COSTUME JEWELS, CHANGE.

Byline: Christopher Noxon Daily News Staff Writer

A 31-year-old man has been arrested during a third botched attempt to steal costume jewelry and spare change from the Ventura County Museum of History and Art, police said.

Tracy Asmus, 31, was arrested Tuesday after triggering a silent alarm while prying open the front door of the museum, according to a police report. The police report alleged that Asmus had attempted to rob the Ventura museum once before, both times leaving valuable items in the museum collection untouched in favor of the donation box and gift shop.

When they arrived at the museum, Ventura police found Asmus outside the museum near his car. During an interview, Asmus turned and ran, police said. He was apprehended with the help of a K-9 unit and treated at Ventura County Medical Center for a dog bite.

Asmus was booked for burglary and a parole violation stemming from a previous attempt to rob the museum, police said.

The jewelry that was taken was not valuable, said Ed Robings, museum director.

``This isn't like fine jewelry from Arabia,'' he said. ``These guys are looking for things they can sell at swap meets or pawn shops.''

The recently remodeled museum currently is hosting a show featuring more than 79 works of contemporary art by local artists, along with an exhibit documenting the history of the county. No previous attempt has ever been made to steal items on exhibit, said Robings.

``We've never had a problem with anyone trying to steal anything from our permanent collection,'' he said. ``The only other person to break in was after spare change to buy gas.''