ROCHESTER, N.Y. — New details have emerged in a case of a reported attempted theft from the Memorial Art Gallery last month.
Rochester police say the suspect, George Haag, was arraigned in city court Thursday. He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Haag is charged with second-degree attempted grand larceny, according to authorities.
A spokesperson for the MAG says the suspect took a piece of art from an Andy Warhol exhibit and tried to leave the building before being intercepted by security.
The artwork was recovered undamaged, but Spectrum News is told Haag initially got away. The museum says the University of Rochester Department of Public Safety arrested Haag on Tuesday.
The director of the Memorial Art Gallery, Jonathan Binstock, says this is something he has never experienced before.
"There is a very rich resource for documenting publicly lost works of art or stolen works of art. So as I say for all these reasons art theft is a very rare occurrence, you read about it in the paper when it happens but in fact it almost never happens," said Binstock.
Police say Haag was released on his own recognizance.