Who is Andrjez Sikora? Detroit artist suspected of helping Crumbleys hide from police
Jennifer and James Crumbley were captured and arrested from a Detroit building in the early hours on December 4 following a tip by an anonymous tipster. In a brief press conference shortly after nabbing them, Detroit police said the parents of teen fugitive Ethan Crumbley could have been assisted in their attempts to flee by someone who helped them enter the building. They were found just miles away from the Canadian border inside an art studio which belongs to artist Andrjez Sikora who has come forward and claims he was unaware of the Crumbleys using his space as a hideaway.
Shortly after their arrest, it was reported that charges might be brought against the person of either aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a press conference later in the day of their arrest. Clarence Dass, the attorney for Sikora identified his client as the one being connected to the whereabouts of the Crumbleys while they were on the run. Dass said it was Sikora who contacted the authorities in Detroit and Oakland County after they were captured from a commercial space linked to him in the 1100 block of Bellevue.
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Who is Andrjez Sikora?
Sikora's studio, Decora Interior Art Design, served as a hideout space for suspected Oxford school shooter Ethan Crumbley's parents. In the press conference, Bouchard said they didn't believe the Crumbleys had broken into the property and that someone had let them inside. “We believe they were assisted in that location, to get there, to get in, and we’re gathering that information and we’re going to have the totality of that done fairly soon and present that to our prosecutor for potential charges for either aiding and abetting or obstruction of justice. That will be a determination by our prosecutor at some point in the near future. That is a work in progress," he said while adding, “Given that they were hiding in a warehouse in Detroit it certainly raises my eyebrows."
Bouchard further said, "Suffice to say we have enough early indications that clearly somebody helped them into that location and made it available to them. And it was after it was publicly announced that there were warrants for them." According to Detroit Free Press, Polish-born Sikora who moved to the US in 1990 was famous for his mural work in several private residences and businesses around Detroit. Sikora's website states, "Andrzej is especially proficient in fine art painting and graphics, and architectural painting. His art embodies a collective lyric of universal feelings and experiences, skillfully focused through the lens of intense personal experience."
Sikora's lawyer Dass sent out a statement in the afternoon on December 5 which read, “Mr. Sikora has not been charged with any crime. Nevertheless, upon learning of the Crumbleys’ arrest on December 4, 2021, he voluntarily contacted the Detroit Police Department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Office to provide information. He maintains his innocence throughout this process and is fully cooperating with law enforcement to assist in their investigation.” Oakland County Sheriff Department Undersheriff Michael McCabe confirmed they were contacted by Sikora's lawyer. A news release from the Sheriff's office sent out late in the evening on Sunday confirmed Sikora will be interviewed by detectives in the afternoon on December 6.