A former guard at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh has pleaded guilty to slashing a $1.2 million painting with a key.
James Sheets, the attorney for 27-year-old Timur Serebrykov (tih-MOOR' sayr-eh-BREE'-kov), says his client is getting mental health treatment and is hoping for probation.
The bigger question may be how much restitution he is ordered to pay. Sentencing is set for April 7.
Serebrykov slashed "Night Sky 2" by Latvian-born artist Vija Celmins (VI'uh SELL'-minsh) last May because he didn't like it. It was on loan from the Art Institute of Chicago. He entered the vandalism plea Thursday.
Sheets says it cost $5,000 to repair the painting. But he says prosecutors estimate it's worth $240,000 less than before.
