Woman's Family Trip to Mount Rushmore Takes Illegal Turn

Alexandria Incontro of Omaha arrested after getting within 15 feet of the top
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 16, 2019 12:51 PM CDT
Woman's Family Trip to Mount Rushmore Takes Illegal Turn
This March 22, 2019, file photo shows Mount Rushmore in Keystone, SD. A Nebraska woman has been fined $1,000 for climbing the memorial. Authorities say Alexandria Incontro scaled the massive granite sculpture Friday, July 12, 2019, with bare feet and no rope, making it to about 15 feet from the top.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

She did it barefoot, without a rope, and illegally. A Nebraska woman was arrested on Friday after scaling Mount Rushmore nearly to the top. The Rapid City Journal cites federal court records in reporting Alexandria Incontro of Omaha bypassed orange warning signs and hopped a railing, then began scaling the granite mountain between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson's faces shortly after 7pm. She made it to within 15 feet of the top as a park ranger called for her to come down. Incontro was allegedly on a "vertical rock face" when she agreed to descend minutes later.

She was arrested and found to have minor cuts on her feet and limbs. A rep for the memorial didn't know if Incontro's attempt was the highest anyone had made it up the South Dakota monument. Incontro, who Newscenter1 reports had visited the park with her 3- and 7-year-old kids and 17 other relatives, pleaded guilty Monday to climbing Mount Rushmore and was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $30 fee. Three other charges were dropped. (Read about a similar 2012 incident.)

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