Houston man charged with vandalizing 1929 Picasso

HOUSTON (AP) - June 22, 2012

Uriel Landeros of Houston was charged Friday with felony graffiti and criminal mischief for spray painting the artwork titled "Woman in a Red Armchair" at the city's Menil Collection. Crime Stoppers says it's offering a $5,000 reward for tips leading to the 22-year-old's arrest.

The painting was damaged June 13. The act of vandalism was caught in a 24-second video taken by a bystander and posted on YouTube. It shows a man dressed in black holding a stencil up to the work of art and spray-painting it.

He left behind an image of a bullfighter, a bull and the word "conquista," the Spanish word for conquest.

Copyright © 2024 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.