What happened minute-by-minute in the DMA break-in

When police arrived at the Dallas Museum of Art last Wednesday night, they found its glass entrance shattered. Inside, a 21-year-old man, Brian Hernandez, had been apprehended by security. Moving from room to room over the course of several minutes, Hernandez seriously damaged at least four artworks at the museum — three ancient Greek vessels and a contemporary Native American work — in addition to other property. Hernandez entered the museum at about 9:46 p.m., according to police and immediately began throwing items on the ground. By 9:52 p.m., he had broken three pieces from the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. Police arrived at 10:10 p.m, more than 20 minutes after Hernandez’s destructive spree began. Hernandez was arrested and charged with criminal mischief of $300,000 or more. His lawyer declined to comment last week. Here’s the full timeline of events, according to Dallas police who based their description on security footage and a walkthrough of the museum.

At about 9:40 p.m., Hernandez approaches the front entrance of the museum on Flora Street holding a metal chair. He disappears from camera as he shatters the front door and walks inside. Hernandez enters the museum at about 9:46 p.m. and begins throwing objects on the ground, including a laptop. He walks further into the building where he flips over a bench and punches a glass display case. He returns to the museum’s entrance and picks up a metal stool. He then goes to one of the museum’s ancient art galleries and hits a glass display case several times, shattering it and breaking two ancient Greek ceramic vessels inside. He shatters two more display cases, damaging at least one additional Greek vessel. Hernandez leaves the ancient gallery and enters the museum’s decorative arts room at about 9:50 p.m. He uses a stanchion to shatter four display cases. At 9:52 p.m., Hernandez appears in the concourse of the museum where he picks up a phone and throws it at the ground. He walks south through the concourse where he picks up a hand sanitizer stand, which he uses to break open another glass display case. Reaching inside, he picks up a contemporary Native American artwork and throws it to the ground, shattering it. He walks north through the concourse and then back south to the museum’s entrance. He damages a computer monitor and another phone. Security locates him and has him sit down on a bench while they call police, who arrive at 10:10 p.m.