Brent Sikkema: Arrest after death of prominent US art dealer

Brent Sikkema had worked in the art world for more than 50 years

A man suspected of killing prominent US art dealer Brent Sikkema has been arrested in Brazil.

Mr Sikkema, 75, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in his apartment in Rio de Janeiro on Monday.

The suspect, named by police as Alejandro Triana Trevez, was arrested at a petrol station in the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais.

Police allege Mr Trevez, reported to be a Cuban national by local media, stole $3,000 from Mr Sikkema's home.

The authorities said the suspect was in the city of São Paulo prior to the killing and returned there afterwards before trying to flee.

He was caught between the cities of Uberaba and Uberlandia on Thursday.

Police have a 30-day prison warrant against Mr Trevez, who is thought to be the man captured on security camera footage outside Mr Sikkema's home at around the time of his death.

Speaking at a press conference, authorities said they were working on the assumption that Mr Sikkema was known to Mr Trevez.

They described the killing as a "premeditated and cruel action", saying the suspect had monitored Mr Sikkema for several hours and waited for the best moment to enter his house - where he stayed for 15 minutes.

According to the O Globo newspaper, the art dealer's body was found by his friend and lawyer, who had become concerned after not hearing back from him.

She told the paper he only came to Rio de Janeiro about three times a year and had been due to return to the US on Tuesday.

Sikkema was the founder of New York contemporary art gallery Sikkema Jenkins & Co and had rubbed shoulders with the likes of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

He had worked in the art world for more than 50 years.

The gallery said in a statement that it "grieves this tremendous loss and will continue on in his spirit".

Yancey Richardson, a long-time friend, told the New York Times he was "shocked" at the death.

"Brent had a terrific eye and thought outside of the box. He wasn't just mounting one painting show after another."

"Through the gallery and his personal activism, Brent nurtured a generation of artists exploring identity, representation and experimental forms," said fellow gallerist Alexander Gray.

These included the painter, filmmaker and installation artist Kara Walker and the painter and sculptor Jeffrey Gibson.