São Paulo Police Identify Suspect in Library Art Heist, Seize Getaway Van

Overview

• Two armed men stole 13 prints on December 7 from the Biblioteca Mário de Andrade on the exhibition’s final day and fled toward Vale do Anhangabaú, with no injuries reported.
• Eight works are Matisse plates from the Jazz series and five are Portinari illustrations from Menino de Engenho, all shown in a MAM‑SP partnership display.
• SmartSampa camera footage helped police identify at least one suspect and locate the escape vehicle, which was seized for forensic analysis by the Civil Police.
• Video shows a suspect setting some prints down on a nearby street, and authorities have not determined who retrieved them, with all stolen works still unaccounted for.
• The city notified Interpol via the Federal Police and alerted cultural heritage bodies; officials say the pieces were insured, though curators emphasize recovery of the originals as the priority.