Father and 10-year-old son accused of stealing $7,350 in jewelry from Mesa arts center

Mesa police reported that Jean Zintz, 31, brought his 10-year-old son to the Mesa Arts Center and broke into the Mesa Contemporary Arts building while it was closed for renovations. The boy allegedly collected a $2,100 necklace, a $3,000 self-portrait bolo and two "Rockstar" bracelets worth $2,250, plus a Bluetooth speaker and a cactus cutting, totaling $7,350. After signing the visitor log and labeling a nearby artwork, the pair left a stainless-steel cup, returned the following day to retrieve it, and were recognized by staff who alerted authorities.

A traffic stop led to their capture at Zintz’s parents’ home, where the stolen cactus piece was found in the vehicle. A search of their luggage recovered the jewelry and clothing worn during the theft. Zintz faces three counts each of third-degree burglary and theft, one count of criminal damage and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, with bail set at $40,000; his son was booked into a juvenile facility on burglary charges.