Published: 6/22/2012

Man charged with vandalizing 1929 Picasso

ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOUSTON — Houston police are searching for a man now charged with vandalizing a 1929 Pablo Picasso painting in an act that was caught on video.

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.

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