Botched Warhol Heist: Arrest Made

A 23-year-old man was arrested for a failed art heist in the Netherlands, targeting Andy Warhol screenprints. Thieves stole two prints and abandoned two damaged ones. Police investigations are ongoing, with no recovery of the stolen works reported by gallery owner Mark Peet Visser.

A 23-year-old man was taken into custody Tuesday in connection with an attempted art theft at a gallery in southern Netherlands, which targeted four valuable screenprints by Andy Warhol.

Authorities reported that the suspect was apprehended days after the thieves broke into a gallery in Oisterwijk last week, seizing two screenprints from a series featuring former queens of the UK, Netherlands, Denmark, and Eswatini. The remaining two prints were severely damaged and left behind by the robbers as they made their escape.

Police have not yet disclosed if the missing artworks were retrieved during a series of operations in Oisterwijk and neighboring areas, including Belgium. Mark Peet Visser, the gallery owner, stated that the stolen prints have not been located, and a restorer is evaluating the extent of the damage to the other two. In security footage, Visser described the thieves as "amateurish," noting they left two prints behind because they did not fit in their getaway vehicle.

(With inputs from agencies.)