Arrest made in Utah petroglyph defacement case, authorities say

ST. GEORGE, Utah (KSL.com) – An arrest was made last month in a case involving a defaced petroglyph panel near the Utah-Arizona border, the Bureau of Land Management said.

Bureau of Land Management officials confirmed that Daniela Ganassim Ericksen was arrested Saturday in St. George in connection with the Nov. 23 case along the Wire Pass Trail in Kane County. Washington County jail records show she had a federal arrest warrant.

Harry Barber, district manager for the office’s Paria River district, said the person may be facing “multiple criminal charges.” Office officials clarified Tuesday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah is handling the case, but cases of land vandalism often result in Archeological Resource Protection Act crimes as well as intentional injury or looting of government property.

“I appreciate that our public enjoys getting out and using public lands. “It’s annoying when people take matters into their own hands and feel like they can do things that aren’t lawful – in this case, writing their name and/or other things on a petroglyph tablet,” Barber said in a video that the agency uploaded Monday.

A second person seen in photos released by the agency has also been identified, but authorities are still investigating the person’s involvement before further charges could be filed, agency officials told KSL.com on Monday.

Both the Bureau of Land Management and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office began investigating the case after officers received a tip and photos from a witness who said they saw two people touching some of the petroglyphs near the The confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, a remote area, defaced about 25 miles southwest of Big Water. A $1,000 reward has also been offered for information leading to a successful conviction.

Bureau archaeologists consider the trail a “very ancient travel corridor” with images believed to be 3,000 to 5,000 years old and dating to the pre-agrarian Archaic period. Although the sites are federally protected, vandalism also occurs frequently. David Hercher, a spokesman for the agency, said the case was the third of its kind in the region in the past year.

What’s special about the November 23 case, however, is that it was caught on camera. Barber said a witness tried to tell people to stop before taking the photos, adding that the Kane County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Land Management law enforcement were able to “put the pieces together.” , using the clues in the photos.

It was not immediately clear whether Ericksen had received legal representation in the case.

Meanwhile, archaeologists are trying to repair the damage, which is estimated to cost about $7,000. But Hercher said it’s likely the site will never be quite the same again, which he said is an unfortunate reality when it comes to cases of land vandalism at sites that are sometimes thousands of years old.

“Vandalism destroys these irreplaceable pieces of history and cultural heritage that are valuable to indigenous tribes, historians and local communities alike,” he said. “(It) is not only a punishable crime, but also a destructive behavior with lasting consequences that can never be 100% restored.” Often costly restoration measures are required, consuming financial resources that could otherwise be used for other purposes .”