A 40-year-old man has been arrested by Seattle police after allegedly destroying nearly $250,000 worth of artwork at the Seattle Center’s Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit.
The man faces charges including first-degree burglary, second-degree assault and first-degree malicious mischief.
The incident unfolded shortly after 11 p.m. Monday at the landmark. According to the Seattle Police Department, the intruder targeted the museum’s famous glass plant sculptures, shattering 12 individual pieces.
Valuations provided by authorities place the damage at approximately $20,000 per item, bringing the total loss to an estimated $240,000.
The suspect also allegedly threw broken glass shards at a museum security guard who tried to intervene and attempted to stab him several times, according to police.
“The man threw broken glass shards at security, fortunately the security officer wasn’t hurt,” police said. “The suspect also picked up a broken shard of glass and tried to stab the museum security officer multiple times. The guard retreated to wait for police.”
Officers located the suspect by following a trail of broken glass along the museum’s walking paths.
Police described the man as “combative” and resistant to verbal commands, but they eventually managed to take him into custody at Seattle’s King County Jail.
