Man angry at girlfriend breaks into Dallas Museum of Art, does $5.2 million in damage, police say

DALLAS — A person who stated he was offended at his girlfriend broke into the Dallas Museum of Artwork on Wednesday and brought on greater than $5 million in injury to artifacts and different property, in response to a police doc.

Dallas police stated they arrested Brian Hernandez, 21, on Wednesday night time.

Safety video confirmed Hernandez exterior the museum’s entrance entrance with a metallic chair in hand about 9:40 p.m. Shortly after, he’s seen on video within the museum, strolling from room to room, smashing show instances and the gadgets inside, in response to a Dallas police arrest sheet.

After he punched a case a number of instances, Hernandez grabbed a metallic stool and shattered the glass and two items inside it — a sixth century Greek amphora and a pot relationship to 450 B.C., in response to the police doc. The 2 gadgets mixed had been valued at about $5 million, the doc says.

He additionally smashed a case and destroyed a “Kylix Herakles and Nemeon Lion” statue, valued at about $100,000, in response to police.

“The gadgets within the show instances that had been destroyed are uncommon historic artifacts which can be extraordinarily treasured and certainly one of a form,” the arrest sheet states.

Hernandez continued by means of the museum and used a hand sanitizer stand to shatter the case containing a statue of the “Batah Kuhuh Alligator Gar Fish” valued at $10,000, which he then picked up and slammed to the bottom, breaking it to items, the sheet says.

Hernandez was additionally seen on safety digital camera video destroying different property, together with a laptop computer, a cellphone, a monitor, two picket show indicators and 4 plexiglass show instances, police stated.

Safety quickly discovered Hernandez and advised him to take a seat on a bench whereas they known as police.

Hernandez advised a guard he “received mad at his woman so he broke in and began destroying property,” the doc says.

He was taken into custody and confessed throughout an interview with a detective, in response to the doc.

Kenneth Bennett, the museum’s director of safety and operations, stated the full injury was estimated at $5.2 million, which might change pending a closing evaluation by the museum’s curator and insurance coverage, in response to the police doc.

“This was an remoted incident perpetrated by one particular person performing alone, whose intent was not theft of artwork or any objects on view on the Museum,” the museum stated in a written assertion. “Nevertheless, some artworks had been broken, and we’re nonetheless within the strategy of assessing the extent of the damages.”

Hernandez was not armed, the museum stated.

“Whereas we’re devastated by this incident, we’re grateful that nobody was harmed,” the museum stated.

Hernandez was booked into the Dallas County Jail on a cost of prison mischief of larger than or equal to $300,000. His bail has been set at $100,000, in response to jail information.

County information didn’t listing an legal professional who might communicate on Hernandez’s behalf.