The former Museum of Modern Art member accused of stabbing two employees when he was denied entry to the iconic New York City facility was arrested in Philadelphia overnight after police said he had set a hotel room on fire. in the city center hours before.
Gary Cabana, 60, was picked up at the Greyhound bus terminal at 10th Street and Filbert, sleeping on a bench, around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, Philadelphia Police told NBC 10.
“Detectives found the 60-year-old suspect, who fit the description, was actually asleep on a bench inside the Greyhound terminal,” Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. “The police stopped him, he woke him up. The individual did not resist, he did not fight.”
Cabana set his hotel room on fire at the Best Western on Vine Street around 6 p.m. Monday and then fled, Philadelphia police said.
No one was injured in the alleged arson.
The New York Police have been looking for him for days, since the incident that occurred over the weekend.
Video taken from inside MoMA shows the moment NYPD say Cabana jumped over the desk and cornered several workers before stabbing two of them.
A man wearing a suit and holding what appears to be a walkie-talkie is seen trying to stop the suspect from across the counter. He has been seen throwing numerous projectiles at the suspect in an attempt to stop the attack.
Eventually, both victims were able to run past their attacker amidst the chaos.
Cabana is accused of trying to gain access to the museum to see a movie but was denied entry because his membership had been revoked a day earlier due to repeated disturbances, John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism for the New York Police Department, said at a news conference. press release on Saturday night.
Miller also said a letter was sent Friday informing Cabana that his membership had ended.
After being turned away from the museum entrance, police said he jumped on the reception desk around 4:15 p.m. Saturday and stabbed two employees, a woman and a man, both 24 years old.
Museum employees were stabbed in the back, collarbone and neck, according to Miller’s report. He said both victims were expected to survive.
Cabana took to social media in the days after the attack with a series of rambling posts denying that he had behaved inappropriately before losing his membership. She also tried to downplay the attack, saying it was a “wake-up call” and accusing staff of framing him.
Cabana is likely to face arson charges for the Center City fire, and New York police said extradition to New York remains “pending.”
Additional video captured Cabana leaving the museum after the attack. He was seen wearing a black jacket and a blue face mask, police said. Police also describe him as a regular at the museum, someone the staff were familiar with.
Videos posted on social media showed dozens of people leaving the museum as officials moved closer to control the scene.
The museum was packed with visitors during Saturday’s late-winter snowstorm when the attack occurred. Among those inside was David Dujerko, who was visiting from Chicago.
“All of a sudden they said ‘the museum is closed’ and people started running. A little bit of panic on the escalators and then they started yelling ‘get out, get out for your own safety,'” Dujerko said.
Although it has been closed since the attack, MoMA will reopen on Tuesday.
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