Employees accused of $50,000 art heist at PortMiami, deputies say

Two Miami-Dade County employees were jailed Wednesday on charges of stealing public artwork valued at more than $50,000 from Port Miami, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

On May 23, investigators got a tip about an art theft at the county-run port. Four days later, deputies reviewed surveillance footage that they say showed 27-year-old Angel Prudhomme removing artwork from the walls of Terminal G and hiding it in a stairwell.

According to the arrest report, Prudhomme also placed mosaic and marble pieces into trash cans and trash bags while trying to avoid security cameras. He was later seen loading the artwork into the vehicle of his co-worker and alleged accomplice, 50-year-old Tangela Parks, according to deputies.

“Twelve of the twenty-four pieces were damaged due to improper removal and transportation, while the remaining items were left behind at the terminal,” investigators wrote in Prudhomme’s arrest affidavit.

The other 12 pieces were recovered from Prudhomme’s home.

Both Parks and Prudhomme, both county custodial workers, admitted to stealing the artwork, according to deputies. They said Parks also confessed to stealing additional items, including an advertisement stand found in her home.

The pair were charged with grand theft, with Prudhomme also charged with criminal mischief.

“As sheriff of Miami-Dade County, I take individuals using their employment to steal very seriously,” Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in a statement. “I am committed to ensuring that anyone involved in dishonest actions will be held accountable”