A 40-year-old man was arrested on Monday for allegedly causing over $240,000 worth of damage at the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit at the foot of Seattle’s famed Space Needle, according to police.
Alexander Taylor Weis was found damaging the exhibit’s glass plant sculptures inside a secure area of the museum late Monday night, police said. When approached by museum security, he threw broken glass and attempted to stab a security guard with a glass shard, according to police.
"When the defendant was confronted by the victim, who was a security guard at the Seattle Center, the defendant hurled a longer piece of glass like a javelin at him," charging documents obtained by NBC News said.
It is unknown how Taylor gained access to the area, which the security guard said was locked at the time of the incident.
Seattle Center Security reported that about 12 items were damaged or destroyed at the museum, which houses a collection by renowned blown glass artist Dale Chihuly.
Officers arrived on the scene to find “large pieces of colorful broken glass on the walking path and scattered around the area,” the Seattle Police Department said.
Taylor was tazed and eventually taken into custody while initially being combative and refusing to follow commands, according to a release from the Seattle Police Department.
He was booked into King County Jail for investigation of burglary, assault, and malicious mischief, according to a spokesperson for the correctional facility.
He is being held on $100,000 bail based on the likelihood that the he might commit a violent offense.
"The defendant’s wanton and malicious acts of destruction coupled with his attempts to hit a security guard with a large piece of glass when the guard tried to stop him gives the State concern for the safety of the community and also for the defendant’s likelihood of committing a violent offense," the charging documents read.
Taylor has a 2023 misdemeanor conviction for negligent driving and a pending charge for malicious mischief from earlier this year, according to the charging documents. It's unclear if he has any legal representation.
His next court appearance will be March 24.
