Museum of Modern Art Stabbing Suspect Arrested in Philadelphia

Philadelphia police said they were searching for Gary Cabana in connection with a fire that was set at a hotel in the city on Monday.

The Museum of Modern Art was evacuated after a stabbing March 12. Scott Cowdrey via AP

PHILADELPHIA — Police early Tuesday arrested a man at a Philadelphia bus terminal who is wanted in the stabbing of two employees inside the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Officers found Gary Cabana, 60, sleeping on a bench. He was arrested without incident, police said.

Philadelphia police said they were searching for him in connection with a fire that was set at a nearby hotel in the city on Monday.

Police in New York said Mr. Cabana was caught on video leaping a reception desk and stabbing two employees inside the Museum of Modern Art on Saturday after he was denied entrance for previous incidents of disorderly conduct.

The museum workers, a 24-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman, were stabbed multiple times and were in stable condition.

The suspect’s membership was revoked for two separate incidents of disorderly behavior at the museum in recent days, the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of intelligence & counterterrorism, John Miller, said.

A letter informing the man of his expired membership was sent out on Friday, Commissioner Miller said, and he showed up at the museum Saturday saying he intended to see a film that was playing.

“He became upset about not being allowed entrance, and then jumped over the reception desk and proceeded to attack and stab two employees of the museum multiple times,” Commissioner Miller said.

MoMA, founded in 1929, is one of New York City’s top tourist attractions, and drew more than 700,000 visitors in 2020. Its collection of modern art includes “The Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh and works by Henri Matisse and Paul Gauguin.

The museum evacuated patrons after the attack and closed. It was scheduled to reopen Tuesday.


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