Houston museum intruders escape by boat on Buffalo Bayou, disappear into sewers

HOUSTON - Two River Oaks museum intruders are on the run after escaping the grasp of Houston police by boat.

Police say they received a call about a burglary at the Rienzi, a branch of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston that features European decorative arts, around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston reports the two intruders, a man and a woman, entered Bayou Bend through a grate to a basement window on the north terrace of the house museum. When the burglar alarm rang, a security guard chased the pair, but they ran out the front door and into the woods towards Buffalo Bayou.

The suspects jumped into a motorboat on the bayou and fled the scene.

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Crowson says officers were able to locate the suspects from the Shepherd Drive bridge, but the suspects turned around and traveled in the opposite direction.

A helicopter and the HPD Dive team arrived to help in the search. They located the boat and suspects, but the duo disappeared into the sewer system from the bayou.

Officers and K9 units went into the sewer system searching for the male and female suspects but to no avail.

Crowson says the officers went for nearly three miles inside the sewers searching for the suspects, losing radio and cell phone reception.

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"We requested the fire department to come out to help us locate the officers," Crowson said. "The fire department arrived and we located the officers. They're OK. They got out of the tunnel."

Crowson says the suspects' boat was recovered and will be processed for evidence, but the male and female suspects are still on the run.

The museum tells FOX 26 no one was hurt, no art was damaged, and it does not appear the thieves got away with anything.