A man was arrested Thursday in Brazil in connection with the murder of Brent Sikkema, a New York art dealer who was found with 18 stab wounds in his Rio de Janeiro apartment this week.
The man, Alejandro Triana Trevez, knew Mr Sikkema and is believed to have stolen money at the scene before fleeing, said Detective Alexandre Herdy, head of the city police’s homicide unit. Police believe Mr Sikkema had brought with him more than $40,000 to spend on furnishing a new apartment in Rio.
Officers recovered a bloody knife from the apartment.
“He staked out the street,” Detective Herdy said. “He comes from Sao Paulo in the morning, he goes directly to the crime scene, in the victim’s street. He parks the car and stays there for several hours.
Mr. Trevez, a Cuban citizen, was arrested at a gas station between the towns of Uberaba and Uberlandia, about 600 miles northwest of Rio de Janeiro. It is unclear whether he has a lawyer.
Detective Herdy said Mr. Trevez tried to evade authorities in Rio after the news media published the security camera footage. That footage showed him exiting a car parked outside the art dealer’s apartment in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Images of the crime began to circulate in the press,” the detective said. “We almost lost him.”
Detective Herdy said new information indicated that Mr. Trevez and Mr. Sikkema had been together in Rio last summer, although the exact nature of their relationship was still unknown.
The dealer’s namesake gallery, Sikkema Jenkins & Co., focuses on contemporary art and moved from the SoHo neighborhood to the Chelsea art district in 1999. Alexander Gray, a New York gallerist, said this week that Sikkema has cultivated a generation of artists exploring identity, representation and experimental forms.
Mr. Sikkema, 75, has represented artists including Kara Walker, Vik Muniz, Sheila Hicks, Louis Fratino and Jennifer Packer. One of the gallery’s top artists, Jeffrey Gibson, is preparing to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale in April.
Scott Briscoe, a spokesman for Sikkema Jenkins & Co., said he would soon announce a memorial to celebrate Mr. Sikkema’s life and accomplishments.
“The outpouring of love and appreciation for Brent has been overwhelming and a tremendous source of comfort to all of us at the gallery,” Briscoe said. “We thank everyone for their support and care during this difficult time.”
