Suspected killer of prominent NYC art dealer who knew Michelle Obama arrested in Brazil

Brazilian police hunting the killer of Manhattan art dealer Brent Sikkema have finally made an arrest, after the victim was found dead of stab wounds in his Rio de Janeiro apartment last Monday, Jan. 15.

The suspect, whom police have identified as Alejandro Triana Trevez, was captured at a gas station in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.

Authorities say that Trevez is a Cuban national who stole $3,000 from Sikkema's apartment and killed him.

Police said the suspect was in the city of São Paulo before the murder, left for Rio de Janeiro, but returned there afterwards before trying to escape the area.

Instead, the suspected killed was detained between the cities of Uberlandia and Uberaba on Thursday.

His capture follows a massive manhunt that lasted several days, now culminating with a 30-day prison warrant against Trevez, who they say is the man depicted on video captured outside Sikkema's home.

Police told journalists at a press conference they suspect Sikkema somehow knew Trevez, saying the incident did not appear to be random, and instead describing it as a “premeditated and cruel action.”

According to a report published by the BBC, police believe the suspect watched his would-be victim for several hours and timed his entry into the apartment so the resident would be there.

Video footage depicts the alleged killer leaving the apartment 15 minutes after he entered.

O Globo newspaper said that the art dealer's body was found by his longtime American attorney and friend, who had become worried after he did not hear from him.

The lawyer told the paper that her client only came to Rio de Janeiro about three times a year and was supposed to return to the United States on Tuesday.

Sikkema, who was 75, worked in the art world for more than 50 years.

He founded a contemporary art gallery in New York called Sikkema Jenkins & Co. He was known as a prominent figure in the Manhattan art world, even having an acquaintanceship with former First Lady Michelle Obama.

His gallery said it “grieves this tremendous loss and will continue on in his spirit,” in a statement released to the public.

Long-time friend Yancey Richardson told the New York Times he was “shocked” to hear his friend was murdered while traveling to South America.

“Brent had a terrific eye and thought outside of the box. He wasn't just mounting one painting show after another,” Richardson told the New York Times in a Jan. 16 report.  

Sikkema opened his Manhattan gallery in 1991 under the name Wooster Gardens. It relocated from the Chelsea arts district in 1999, where he focused on contemporary art.