Hunt is on for pair photographed vandalizing ancient petroglyph. ‘Pray they get caught’
Authorities are searching for a pair of people who deputies said were photographed defacing ancient petroglyphs in southern Utah.
Photos shared to Facebook show what appears to be someone carving into one of the walls of a cultural site as another person appears to watch, Kane County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook.
The site is near the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch and appears to be in one of the southernmost counties in the state, a more than 300-mile drive south from Salt Lake City, officials said.
The vandalism was reported Nov. 23, officials said. Anyone who recognizes the people in the photos or the car they drove is asked to contact the Kane County Sheriff’s Office at 435-644-2668.
The department partnered with the Bureau of Land Management to identify the individuals involved, the post says.
People complained about the pair’s ignorance in comments on the post.
“Wow so disrespectful!” someone said. “I pray they get caught.”
“There is no excuse for this,” someone else commented.
A petroglyph is a carving in the surface of a rock left there by ancient Indigenous people to tell their stories, according to Visit Utah. While the art has survived thousands of years, oils from human hands can degrade the rock surface — plus carving, chiseling, scratching, engraving or marring the petroglyphs in any way is a federal crime.
This story was originally published November 25, 2024 at 4:58 PM with the headline "Hunt is on for pair photographed vandalizing ancient petroglyph. ‘Pray they get caught’."
