El Morro National Monument (NM)
Exchange Students Fined For Vandalism
On March 21st, two South Korean foreign exchange students attending the University of New Mexico on student visas pled guilty to charges of disturbing an archeological site. On October 13, 2011, park employees discovered two names - "Super Duper Dana" and "Gabriel" - illegally carved into the sandstone bluff known as Inscription Rock. After ascertaining that the monument visitor register included an entry that day by a visitor who identified herself as Dana Choi of South Korea, a protection ranger began an investigation. Through Facebook, the ranger was able to identify the defendants, who were arrested on December 2, 2011 based on a criminal complaint. The students entered their guilty pleas under plea agreements that required them to pay almost $30,000 to the NPS to cover the costs of repairing the damage they caused.