A man traveling with his dog to Death Valley National Park is suspected of repeated acts of vandalism over the past two years and park rangers are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying him.
In late January, the vandal defaced rock faces, buildings and other infrastructure with graffiti that reads in part “Steve & Lacy were here,” according to Death Valley National Park. Similar illegal acts occurred during the federal government shutdown in early 2019, possibly by the same person.
“This individual is suspected to be a male from Grand Forks, British Columbia, who traveled with a dog named Lacy on his way to an event called King of the Hammers,” the park service stated.
The graffiti was found on rocks and historic structures in Echo Canyon, Butte Valley, Homestake Dry Camp and Crankshaft Junction.
“It is heartbreaking to see treasures like Death Valley National Park get damaged by intentional acts such as these,” said Superintendent Mike Reynolds. “We ask park visitors to help us find those who should be held responsible, and thank hard-working park rangers for efforts to prevent further damage.”
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Tips can be submitted anonymously to the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch via call or text at (888) 653-0009, online at www.nps.gov/ISB or by email at nps_isb@nps.gov.
Illegal acts such as these can cause permanent damage, degrades the experience for other visitors, and are costly and time consuming to repair.
Though the park is currently temporarily closed, through traffic is allowed on CA-190 and Daylight Pass Road, and park rangers are still patrolling the park.
Photo of park sign courtesy of Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images; photos of vandalism courtesy of the National Park Service.
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