Brian Hernandez angry with girlfriend destroys $5m worth of art work at Dallas Museum of Art after breaking into gallery and proceeding to break ancient Greek artifacts.
A Texas man disgruntled with his girlfriend is alleged to have broke into a Dallas museum on Wednesday night and destroy more than $5 million in art work, including irreplaceable ancient art pieces, officials said.
Brian Hernandez, 21, decided to take his anger out by breaking and entering into the Dallas Museum of Art and while evading security guards, proceeded to smash multiple vessels, bowls and figurines valued at $5,153,000, NBC 5 reported.
Hernandez allegedly used a metal chair to smash the glass entrance to the museum at about 9:40 p.m. Once inside, he used a stool to destroy the rare and irreplaceable art pieces, police said.
He allegedly told museum guards who found him with the destroyed items that he ‘got mad at his girl so he broke in and started destroying property,’ according to the arrest document.
The guards had Hernandez sit on a bench while they called police. When officers arrived, they arrested him for criminal mischief greater than $300,000.
Targeted Ancient Greek artefacts
According to surveillance footage and police, Hernandez allegedly destroyed two ancient painted vessels — a Greek amphora dating back to 6th Century BCE and a Greek pyxis dating back to 5th century BCE — which had a combined value of $5 million.
The boyfriend also smashed a Greek ceramic bowl from 550 BCE worth about $100,000 and a Caddo alligator figurine valued at $10,000 to pieces.
In a bid to smash the art pieces, Hernandez allegedly shattered two display cases worth $17,000 each. A museum computer, phone, bench and signage were also damaged.
Museum director Agustín Arteaga in a statement on Thursday said that the museum is working with insurers to asses the damage, and that the estimate could be lower than the initial $5million figure.
‘We anticipate the real total could be a fraction of the original $5 million estimate’ he said.
The museum was open on Thursday, while some of the sections Hernandez damaged remained closed as the investigation continues.
Not immediately clear is how or why the boyfriend came to target the Dallas art museum and his girlfriend’s association with the venue or housed objects.
Hernandez remains held in Dallas County Jail on a bond of $100,000.
