A Texas man breaks into an art museum and destroys irreplaceable ancient Greek artifacts and a $5 million Native American ‘effigy bottle’ – he tells police he carried out the killing spree because he was ‘mad at his girl ” be.
- Brian Hernandez, 21, smashed the front door of the Dallas Museum of Art and did the same with up to $5 million worth of ancient artifacts
- Two of the artifacts were a pair of ancient Greek pots dating from the 6th century BC. B.C., of which the pair alone could be worth $5 million
- Hernandez requested 9/11 from the museum before he was arrested by security forces, and he confessed his crimes to arresting officers
A 21-year-old man broke into an art museum and destroyed $5 million worth of irreplaceable ancient Greek artifacts after an argument with his girlfriend.
Brian Hernandez, 21, was arrested by security forces during his Wednesday night shooting spree at the Dallas Museum of Art, Texas.
He later told Dallas police he decided to destroy the priceless antique work of art because he was “mad at his girl.”
Hernandez destroyed at least three ancient Greek artifacts that had survived 2,500 years before emerging.
He also destroyed a contemporary Native American piece, a Greek cup of about 540 BC. B.C., and the glass door of the museum.
Early estimates of Hernandez’s wrath were $5,153,000.
Brian Hernandez, 21, was arrested after destroying up to $5 million worth of art and antique artifacts at the Dallas Museum of Art
Two of the items destroyed by Hernandez both date from 6th century BC Ancient Greece. The couple alone could be worth up to $5 million
The rampage began around 9:40 p.m. Wednesday night when Hernandez smashed the museum’s glass door with a metal chair.
Police say surveillance footage shows Hernandez using a stool to smash apart two display cases and numerous antique works of art. Two of those pieces were a pair of pots worth a combined $5 million.
He once picked up a contemporary ceramic Native American effigy worth $10,000 and slammed it on the floor, where it shattered into pieces. He also massacred an ancient Greek cup worth $100,000.
“The items in the showcases that were destroyed are rare ancient artifacts that are extremely valuable and unique,” police said in a affidavit.
$100,000 6th century BC black-figure kylix destroyed by Hernandez
A contemporary Native American image bottle valued at approximately $10,000. Security footage shows Hernandez picking up the item and smashing it to the ground
In addition to the damaged artifacts, Hernandez vandalized a phone, computer, and bank.
A security guard found Hernandez in the museum’s main hall after a motion sensor went off. When the warden asked Hernandez what he was doing, he said he replied that “he got mad at his girl, so he broke in and started destroying property.”
Police say Hernandez also invoked 9/11 against himself from inside the museum. Police arrived at the scene around 10:10 p.m.
Hernandez was arrested and confessed his crimes to officers, police said.
Museum director Agustín Arteaga said in a statement Thursday that the museum is working with insurers to assess the damage and that the estimate could be lower than the original $5 million figure.
“We anticipate that the actual total could be only a fraction of the original estimate of $5 million,” he said.
The museum was open Thursday while some of the areas damaged by Hernandez remained closed while the investigation continues.
Dallas Police outside the Dallas Museum of Art after Hernandez broke in and destroyed the art and artifacts
The broken glass door of the museum. At right, the metal chair Hernandez used to start his killing spree