"I Came to Steal Jewelry with My Dad": U.S. Thieves Caught After 10-Year-Old Son Signs Guestbook

Forced Entry Into Museum During Closure

Stole Four Silver Ornaments Worth $7,350

Son Left His Name in Guestbook and on Artwork

Returned the Next Day for Forgotten Cup and Was Apprehended

A bizarre incident occurred in the United States where a man in his 30s broke into a museum with his 10-year-old son and stole jewelry worth about 10 million won, only to be caught by the police because his son had left his "name" at the scene. The father and son even returned to the scene the next day, trying to retrieve a cup they had left behind during the crime.

On August 31, Yonhap News TV, quoting the New York Post and AZ Family, reported that Mesa police in Arizona arrested 31-year-old Jean Zintz on charges including museum burglary and theft.

A man in his 30s who broke into an art museum in the United States with his 10-year-old son and stole jewelry worth approximately 10 million won was caught by the police because of the "name" his son left at the scene in a bizarre incident. AZ Family

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on August 19 at the Mesa Arts Center. According to court documents, Zintz arrived near the Art Center with his 10-year-old son in a white pickup truck and tried pulling open several locked doors of different buildings, looking for ways to enter. At that time, the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum, part of the Mesa Arts Center, was closed for preparations for a new exhibition. The museum’s official website indicates that the summer closure period in 2026 was from June 29 to September 11.

Police believe Zintz forcefully pulled the museum's locked exterior entrance, breaking the lock, and then entered with his son. It was found that the father took four silver decorative items hanging on a display mannequin. The stolen pieces included a “Trouble” necklace worth $2,100, a silver bolo tie valued at $3,000, and two bracelets worth $650 and $1,600, respectively—altogether totaling $7,350 (about 10 million won). The son was also found to have stolen a Bluetooth speaker belonging to a staff member. Before entering the museum, the pair reportedly cut off and loaded a piece of cactus on the Art Center grounds into their vehicle.

Flaws in their crime were exposed in several places. According to the police investigation, the 10-year-old son wrote his own name in the guestbook displayed in the gallery during the crime. In a nearby art studio, he even wrote his name on a piece of artwork he had made. These traces became decisive clues for the police to identify the father and son. Additionally, Zintz also left behind a stainless steel cup he had brought to the scene.

Even more surprisingly, the next day the father and son returned to the Art Center trying to retrieve the forgotten cup. As staff recognized them and attempted to call the police, the pair quickly fled the scene in their vehicle. However, police soon located the vehicle, stopped it using a traffic stop, and apprehended both Zintz and his son. A piece of cactus from the previous day was also found in the vehicle's cargo bed.

During the investigation, Zintz reportedly admitted that both he and his son had entered the museum and that his son had stolen the jewelry. He also confessed to taking the Bluetooth speaker and cactus. Zintz, who had been visiting his parents' home in Mesa from Washington State at the time, told police he planned to take the stolen goods back to Washington. In fact, he was scheduled to fly back to Washington on the day of his arrest.

When police searched the parents’ home where Zintz had been staying, they found the missing jewelry as well as clothing believed to have been worn by the father and son during the crime. All the stolen items were reported to have been recovered. Zintz faces a total of eight charges, including three counts of third-degree burglary, three counts of theft, felony criminal damage, and contributing to the delinquency and dependency of a minor. The court set his bail at $40,000 (about 5.5 million won) in cash. The local media reported that the 10-year-old son was also sent to a juvenile facility on burglary charges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.