They broke into a fine art museum, then used the sewer to elude police, Texas cops say

Mike Stunson
·1 min read

Suspects who broke in to a fine art museum in Texas escaped police by using a motorboat and running into a sewer system, according to Houston police.

The break-in occurred at a Houston Museum of Fine Arts facility that includes “one of the finest showcases of American furnishings, silver, ceramics and paintings in the world.” It’s unclear if the suspects escaped with anything from the collection.

Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police Department said a security guard reported the break-in at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to video of a news conference posted to YouTube by KHOU 11. When officers arrived, the suspects jumped out of the building, ran to a nearby bayou and into a motorboat, Crowson said. They boated down the bayou as they were being chased by officers driving nearby, the lieutenant said.

Officers eventually lost sight of the suspects. A diving team and a helicopter were brought to the area to continue the search, and a spotlight found the boat with two people in it, according to Crowson.

The suspects were seen running into a drainage culvert that runs underneath the River Oaks District of Houston, police say. A K-9 officer and patrol officers followed the suspects through the sewer system, but the commanding officers eventually lost radio contact with the searchers, Crowson said.

The Houston Fire Department was called to help locate the officers, and they were eventually found unharmed, the lieutenant said. The suspects were not located.

Police are attempting to identify the suspects through the motorboat’s registration, according to Crowson.

The museum will do an inventory of its items to determine if anything was stolen, he added.

It’s unclear what charges the suspects face if they are caught.

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