A Utah tourist who was one of two people who vandalized ancient petroglyphs at a historic site has been identified.
Daniela Ganassim Ericksen was arrested Saturday, according to Utah’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) after damaging the ancient Native American petroglyph.
An unnamed man was also found by police, but his information has not been publicly released.
The pair were accused of causing approximately $7,000 in damage between the Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch trailheads on the Utah-Arizona border on Nov. 23.
Ericksen is being held at the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Washington County.
That’s what the BLM said CUTV: ‘It is typical to see felony charges related to violations of the Archaeological Resource Protection Act and 18 US Code 1361 Intentionally Damaging or Looting Government Property.
‘The cultural value will never be fully restored.’
Before the alleged perpetrators were found, the BLM offered a $1,000 reward to anyone who can offer information leading to a “successful prosecution” of the suspects.
Photos circulated of a woman in pink carving something into the rock before walking toward a black sedan.
Daniela Ganassim Ericksen and a man who has not been publicly identified were arrested by police on November 23 for damaging Native American carvings
The suspects were also seen walking from the trails into the parking lot
The BLM said in a statement that this evidence was essential to holding them accountable.
The statement reads: “Accountability in this case would have been difficult without the awareness of public land users and their willingness to report suspicious activity.
“By taking a few photos and taking the time to report the incident to our field office, police were able to take action.”
Harry Barber, the district manager of the Paria River District where this incident occurred, said this behavior is not normal.
‘This is unique and I would like to point that out. The area where this happened in Wire Pass is a popular area,” he told KUTV.
“These people wrote their names on the panel, whatever, and members of the public told them, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t be doing this,’ and these individuals blew them off and basically ignored those members of the public. .’
Buckskin Gulch features approximately 16 miles of unique formations and undulating sandstone walls,” the BLM said.
The walls feature images of various animals, including bighorn sheep, created by Native Americans centuries ago.
High desert panorama in southern Utah above Buckskin Gulch on the Utah-Arizona border, where the two vandals damaged ancient drawings
The BLM wrote, “Not only is vandalism a crime punishable by law, but this destructive behavior has lasting consequences that can never be 100 percent recovered.”
Wildlife enthusiasts and community members responded to Ericksen’s arrest, calling her and the other alleged perpetrator out for their disrespectful behavior.
“I hope they are never allowed on public national park lands again.” People with no respect for our backyard don’t get to enjoy themselves,” one woman shared on Facebook.
Another Utah resident said, “I wish the public would be more educated about why protecting these sites is so important, and how they should behave when visiting sites during their travels.”