Overview
- Brett Howard, 46, and Todd Azevedo, 48, both from Petaluma, California, were arrested after an incident on March 8 at the Ancient Ozarks Natural History Museum near Branson.
- A probable cause statement says one man climbed onto the other's shoulders and grabbed a 200-pound tusk, which fell and broke into multiple pieces as a museum employee watched on security video around 10:50 p.m.
- Each man was charged with one count of first-degree property damage and later released on a $15,000 surety bond, with a court appearance set for next month in Taney County.
- Bond conditions reported by the New York Post bar the men from contacting each other and from visiting any Top of the Rock or Bass Pro property.
- Museum staff estimated the tusk’s value at about $200,000, Sheriff Brad Daniels called it one of a kind and not replaceable, and the Kansas City Star reported a potential maximum of four years in prison if convicted.