Photos may show Banksy vandal

Police in Park City have disclosed surveillance images of a man suspected of vandalizing two works by the world-renowned graffiti artist Banksy.

The images show a man in a hooded sweatshirt believed to have defaced murals at 402 and 537 Main St. about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Park City police Sgt. Jay Randall wrote in a press statement.

One of the images also shows what may be the man's car, Randall wrote.

A passerby first noticed protective glass had been broken over the mural of a cameraman with a flower on the Java Cow building, 402 Main St., about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. The vandal was unable to remove the glass, and the art was not harmed.

However, the vandal was able to remove the protective glass and spray-paint over the art at 537 Main St. Investigators do not know whether the art can be salvaged.

The original artwork technically was illegal; Banksy painted the murals without the permission of the walls' owners during the Sundance Film Festival 2010 in conjunction with the premier of "Exit Through the Gift Shop," a documentary about the artist's work. The paintings of Banksy, whose real name is not known, have sold at auction for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The graffiti in Park City became a tourist draw, and the owners have maintained and protected the paintings.

Police are valuing the damaged art and glass at about $15,000, though a judge will decide the value of the damage should charges be filed. The owner of one of the businesses where a Banksy was vandalized has offered up to $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

Anyone with information on the vandalism or the man or vehicle in the images may call Park City police at 435-615-5500, or email: jay.randall@parkcity.org

ealberty@sltrib.com

Twitter: @erinalberty