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German tourists are cited for defacing Joshua Tree national park with paintballs: Trio face $5,000 fine and up to six months in prison
Three tourists who were visiting Joshua Tree have been cited after defacing and vandalizing road signs and bathrooms around the California national park, officials have said, and face paying thousands of dollars in fines and a potential prison sentence.
The trio, who are believes said to have been visiting from Germany have each been issued a federal violation notice for vandalizing, defacing, or destroying property.
This could lead to a maximum of $5,000 fine and/or not more than six months in prison.
On Sunday August 4, a park ranger patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground at Joshua Tree reportedly noticed 'fresh yellow paintball splatter on structures and signs,' a statement from the National Park Service said yesterday.
According to the NPS, paintball markers and slingshots are legally considered weapons and are prohibited in National Park Service-administered lands.
Three German tourists have been cited after defacing roadsigns in Joshua Tree national park with yellow paintballs
'Defacing or altering the NPS landscape, no matter how small, is against the law,' said Joshua Tree National Park Acting Chief Ranger Jeff Filosa.
'It diminishes the natural environment that millions of people travel the world to enjoy. The park is regularly tasked with removing graffiti of all types, using time and resources that could be better dedicated to other priorities.'
Law enforcement rangers were called to the campground to investigate and discovered a slingshot inside a vehicle.
The tourists, who were questioned, admitted to firing paintballs with a paintball marker and slingshots the previous night.
Rangers have since recovered three slingshots, a paintball marker, paintballs, and other related equipment as evidence.
Stock image: Jumbo Rocks and Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Joshua Tree National Park, California
According to the NPS's statement, the visitors shot at least 11 roadway signs with the yellow paintballs.
The case continues to be investigated and maintenance staff is currently carrying out a cleanup of the park.
The national park in southern California is known for its rugged rock formations and stark desert landscapes.
This comes just a few months after visitors to a popular rock site at Lake Mead National Park damaged a formation at the Nevada hiking site back in April.
A video taken by a witness to the event showed the two men working hard to shove large chunks of loose rock of the edge of an outcropping.
The video was sent to the National Park Service.
Officials called the behavior extremely damaging, noting that the ancient stones cannot be fixed.