My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California
I recently was out of town and the agent appointed by the landlord to oversee the property which I'll call the building manager (the child of the landlord age ~40s) used their key to access my apartment and removed several very valuable items from the apartment. There is a pending criminal investigation for this matter but the entry was unauthorized and unannounced and the police have obtained the proof necessary to charge the individual which should happen shortly.
My question is this: what legal recourse do I have against the landlord for the act of their appointed agent? Is this a matter for small claims court? The value of the property stolen was <5000 (no renters insurance) but I have spent countless hours solving and remedying the issue as well as incurring lost wages as a result of responding to the incident. I am moving out as soon as possible but I want to ensure that I recover the value of the stolen items prior to calling it quits and moving on. Any suggestions?

