The thief also assaulted a museum employee.

The Denver Police Department (DPD) is requesting help from the public to identify a man who's accused of assaulting an employee from the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and stealing items from the museum's gift shop.

The incident occurred on January 9 around 10:30 a.m., according to the information provided by the Denver Metro Crime Stoppers. Authorities said the man was confronted by an employee as he began to steal from the gift shop. As retaliation, the suspect sprayed the employee with pepper spray and then ran from the museum.

According to a statement from DAM, the air quality was briefly affected but it was still decided to evacuate the Hamilton Building temporarily "out of an abundance of caution". DAM stated a few people were treated at the scene for the effects of the pepper spray.

The museum operations went back to normal within the next hour of the incident. The affected guests were offered new ticket times or refunds.

The DPD is asking anyone who recognizes the man in the image or has information about the theft to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Anyone who calls the line may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000, depending on the information provided. The tip line is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

This isn't the first time DAM has been subjected to theft or damages by visitors. Last year, a man pleaded guilty to causing nearly $100,000 in damages to the museum. Jake Siebenlist visited the museum on December 9, 2018, entered a gallery on the fourth floor and damaged 10 pieces of art. As part of his plea agreement, Siebenlist had to pay restitution and stay away from DAM during his probation.

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