I reported last June about a man who inexplicably vandalized a painting by Pablo Picasso at a museum in Houston. Another visitor used a cell phone to capture video of the man later identified as 22-year-old Uriel Landeros. He spray-painted an image of a bullfighter and the word “conquista” (conquered) over Picasso’s 1929 “Woman in Red,” before fleeing.
Landeros turned himself in to authorities at the international bridge near McAllen, Texas last week and now has confessed to the crime. He is charged him with criminal mischief and felony graffiti. His attorney, Emily Detoto, admits that his confession will make it difficult to defend him. She added that Landeros is an accomplished graffiti artist, which I’m sure doesn’t make museum officials feel any better about the desecration to the painting. It was part of the Menil Collection and is valued at several million dollars.
Chief Writing Wolf 