I have a few questions and most of them start with why. Three German tourists allegedly fired yellow paintballs at multiple signs at Joshua Tree National Park. The incident happened over the weekend.
I'm not sure what they hoped to gain from the random act of vandalism. Maybe all they were looking for were their 15 minutes of fame. In that case, congratulations you got it. Additionally, paintballs feel so aggressive. They're much more direct and confrontational to be sure. However, authorities claim the three German visitors defaced Joshua Tree National Park with these.
According to park officials, they used a paintball gun and slingshots. They also targeted both bathrooms and trash cans around Joshua Tree National Park. According to a Thursday news release, such offenses could potentially land them in jail for as much as six months. So it's a very serious crime that could have a legal impact for the trio.
"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."
Joshua Tree Vandalized
According to park officials, a Joshua Tree park ranger was patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground when he spotted the defacement. He noticed yellow paintball splatter on various signs and facilities in the area. Other rangers later found a slingshot in visible view inside a parked video. That's when park rangers confronted the three German visitors.
They confessed that they fired paintballs the previous night. Rangers ended up searching the park and found three slingshots as well as paintballs and a paintball gun. To make matters worse for the trio, paintball guns are "legally considered weapons and are prohibited in National Park Service-administered lands."
In total, the visitors ended up allegedly vandalizing 11 roadway signs in Joshua Tree with the paint. Authorities are charging them with a federal violation of vandalizing, defacing, and also destroying property. In addition to the jail time mentioned above, they could also face a $5,000 fine.
