TERRE HAUTE —
Being intoxicated and out of money might have given a Sullivan man the jailhouse blues after he was arrested Saturday afternoon during the Blues at the Crossroads festival.
Mark Hollifield, 52, was arrested Saturday after he reportedly walked out of the Swope Museum with a piece of art in hand, and headed to a downtown business where he allegedly sold the bronze sculpture of a rhinoceros for $25.
Terre Haute Police said that the theft of the rhino was reported and a description of both the suspect and rhinoceros were given to authorities soon after the theft occurred.
A museum employee saw Hollifield walking south on Seventh Street, and police soon found out that he allegedly sold the rhino for $25 at Nancy’s Downtown Mall at Ninth and Poplar streets.
Brian Whisenhunt, executive director of the Swope Museum, said museum staff noticed that the sculpture, described as about 6 inches high and about 14 to 16 inches long, was missing almost immediately after it was taken. All museum security procedures for such an occurrence went into effect, he said. Museum staff located the rhino after it had been sold, he added.
As required by city ordinance, the business recorded Hollifield’s name and personal information, which was soon passed on to police who were investigating the alleged theft.
Back at the blues festival, police were notified of Hollifield’s description, and the suspect was arrested at Seventh Street and Wabash Avenue. He was booked into the Vigo County jail on a charge of theft, but was released on Sunday. Police said the theft case has been transferred to city court as a criminal conversion charge.
The actual value of the rhinoceros sculpture was not listed on the police report.
Whisenhunt declined to reveal the actual value of the rhino art piece for security reasons.
He said the museum staff is trained to identify anyone who might present a security risk to the museum or its collection, but it can be challenging to make a judgment based on someone’s appearance. Admission to the museum is free and open to the public.
“Security of the museum is our priority,” Whisenhunt said, “because our collection represents our community and is a cultural treasure that we share with everyone.”
Following the theft, the museum was closed for the remainder of the afternoon even though staff had planned to keep the museum open to attract the public attending the downtown music festival.
Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com.
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Police: Statue stolen from Swope Museum sold at downtown shop
Suspect arrested at nearby music festival
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