The suspect, 61-year-old Zoltan Genc, allegedly leaving the gallery with a Fred Allard sculpture in his bag (courtesy NYPD)

A New Yorker was arrested and charged with stealing a $16,000 sculpture from Galeries Bartoux near Central Park in Manhattan. The man was apprehended after surveillance footage from April 25 afternoon showed him allegedly walking off with the sculpture.

The suspect is Zoltan Genc, a 61-year-old resident of the Bronx, according to the NYPD. Security camera footage from the gallery shows a man lifting the sculpture out of camera range and walking out the door. Genc was charged with grand larceny.

The stolen artwork was crafted by French artist Fred Allard. The sculpture features a gold-coated “shopping bag” containing silvered soda cans and bottles.

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Galeries Bartoux said in a statement that the gallery’s security employee was assisting with installation in the back of the gallery during the robbery.

“The suspect found himself at the right place and time with the wrong intentions,” the statement reads. “We are taking the situation very seriously and taking further precautions to strengthen the security of the gallery and our employees.”

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Hakim Bishara

Hakim Bishara is a Senior Editor at Hyperallergic. He is also a co-director at Soloway Gallery, an artist-run space in Brooklyn. Bishara is a recipient of the 2019 Andy Warhol Foundation and Creative Capital...