More than $5 million in art, including ancient Greek pieces, destroyed at Dallas museum
More than $5 million worth of art, including three ancient Greek pieces, was destroyed at the Dallas Museum of Art after a man broke in Wednesday night, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Brian Hernandez, 21, was in custody after police said he broke into the museum around 10 p.m. and was arrested shortly after leaving the scene, KDFW-TV reported. Hernandez was not carrying weapons and nobody was hurt, according to a spokeswoman for the museum.
The Dallas Museum of Art was open Thursday, but some exhibits were closed.
Hernandez broke into a glass display case and destroyed a 6th-century B.C. Greek ceramic vase and a Greek pot from around 450 B.C., the Dallas Morning News reported. He’s also accused of destroying a $100,000 Greek bowl from between 550 and 530 B.C. and a $10,000 ceramic Caddo effigy bottle modeled after an alligator gar.
“This was an isolated incident perpetrated by one individual acting alone, whose intent was not theft of art or any objects on view at the Museum,” the museum said in a statement. “ While we are devastated by this incident, we are grateful that no one was harmed. The safety of our staff and visitors, along with the care and protection of the art in our stewardship, are our utmost priorities.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2022 at 4:51 PM.