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5th Suspect Arrested In DBG Chihuly Art Theft

DENVER (AP/CBS4) — Denver police say they have arrested a fifth suspect in the theft of four glass pieces by world-famous sculptor Dale Chihuly that were taken from an open-air exhibit.

In a statement, police said Chance Christie, 20, was arrested Friday on suspicion of theft. Alex Brook, 23, Joseph Parnell, 36, Sean Sorensen, 20, and Auvia Bellamy, 19 were arrested last week and charged Wednesday with taking art worth $100,000.

Alex Brook, Joseph Parnell, Sean Sorensen, and Auvia Bellamy
Alex Brook, Joseph Parnell, Sean Sorensen, and Auvia Bellamy (credit: Denver District Attorney's Office)

According to court documents, the suspects acted out of boredom and didn't realize the value of the artwork until seeing news reports about the August theft from the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Police recovered one of the pieces, an orb valued at $75,000, at Sorensen's home.

Orb
An image of the recovered orb (credit: Denver Police)

The other three were believed accidentally destroyed by farm machinery after being dumped in a cornfield about 40 miles east of Denver.

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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