DENVER — The man accused of vandalizing 10 pieces of artwork at the Denver Art Museum in December has pleaded guilty to criminal mischief.
Jake Siebenlist, 18, bought a ticket to the museum on Dec. 9, entered a gallery on the fourth floor and caused nearly $100,000 in damages to art property, according to the Denver Police Department.
Witnesses told police that Siebenlist walked to a glass bonnet and pushed it over, causing it to shatter. When security tried to restrain him, an affidavit says Sibenlist pushed patrons out of the way and began to throw sculptures across the room and shatter other works of art on the ground.
The affidavit said Siebenlist tried to damage two paintings that were protected by plastic glass, but was not successful.
Siebenlist will have to serve a three-year supervised deferred judgment running through March 17, 2022. He paid the museum $10,000 on Thursday, and will be required to pay the remaining $86,900 in damages he caused over the next three years, according to the Denver District Attorney's Office. During his probationary period, Siebenlist must also stay away from the museum.
The incident involving Siebenlist was the first such case of vandalism in the decades-long history of the Denver Art Museum.
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