Cunning county employees steal $50K worth of art...but make ridiculous mistake during heist
Angel Prudhomme, 27, and Tangela Park, 50, allegedly stole more than $50,000 worth of artwork from a Florida port.
The pair were caught after they carelessly damaged half of the stolen pieces during removal, leaving behind a trail of broken artwork.
Both county employees were arrested on Thursday and are now facing second-degree grand theft charges, the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office announced.
Park is also facing an additional criminal mischief charge for the damage caused during the heist.
'As Sheriff of Miami-Dade County, I take individuals using their employment to steal very seriously,' Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rose Cordero-Stutz said.
'I am committed to ensuring that anyone involved in dishonest actions will be held accountable.'
The pair were caught after a tip was sent to public corruption investigators, who reviewed surveillance footage.
The shocking video revealed the two workers removing artwork from Terminal G and loading it into their vehicles.
Prudhomme was spotted on camera May 12 removing pieces from walls and hiding them in a stairwell, according to arrest documents.
The 27-year-old was also caught stuffing valuable mosaic and marble art pieces into trash cans and bags while trying to dodge security cameras.
The next day, footage captured Prudhomme transferring the stolen goods into Park's vehicle.
But their plan failed when 12 of the 24 stolen pieces were so badly damaged during the theft that they had to be abandoned at the terminal.
The Sea Port General Investigations unit recovered these damaged artworks.
The remaining 12 pieces were found Wednesday at Prudhomme's home and vehicle. They were also damaged from poor handling.
The art collection manager valued the stolen pieces at approximately $50,000, according to Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Both suspects confessed to the theft and were taken to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
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