vandals

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Woman Fined $15K for Defacing Ancient Rock Art

Bystanders' photos of the act in southern Utah led to Daniela Ericksen's arrest

(Newser) - A Utah woman has been ordered to pay close to $15,000 in fines and restitution and serve a year of probation for vandalizing ancient Native American petroglyphs in southern Utah. Daniela Ganassim Ericksen, 47, was caught in the act last November by bystanders, who photographed her carving into the...

Students Arrested With Unusual Prop at Anti-TPUSA Protest

UC Berkeley students face felony charges after trying to hang giant bug targeting conservative event

(Newser) - Four UC Berkeley students were arrested early Monday on felony vandalism charges after attempting to hang a 5-foot-tall cardboard bug from the university's iconic Sather Gate as part of a protest against an upcoming event by the conservative group Turning Point USA. According to campus officials, the students—believed...

Sycamore Gap Vandals Sentenced for 'Moronic Mission'

Duo who cut down England's beloved tree get more than 4 years in prison for the stunt

(Newser) - The vandals who cut down England's beloved Sycamore Gap tree were sentenced on Tuesday to more than four years in prison for causing irreversible damage and serious distress. The tree stood for nearly 150 years before Daniel Graham and Adam Carruthers set out on a dark and stormy night...

Vandal Filmed Defacing World Heritage Site

Man spray-painted crude image on wall at Peru's historic Chan Chan

(Newser) - Authorities in Peru are searching for a man caught on camera spray-painting a crude image on a wall at Chan Chan, a centuries-old archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. The act of vandalism occurred on one of Chan Chan's original walls, with video footage of the incident...

Territorial Woodpecker Damages Dozens of Cars
Territorial Woodpecker
Damages Dozens of Cars
in case you missed it
Apr 27, 2025 3:30 PM CDT

Territorial Woodpecker Damages Dozens of Cars

Bird in Rockport, Massachusetts, believes reflections are rivals, expert say

(Newser) - "We have a vandal in the neighborhood," Rockport, Massachusetts resident Janelle Favaloro warned in a Facebook post. "He was described as 18 to 24 inches tall, wearing black and white with a red hat." A pileated woodpecker has been attacking car mirrors and windows in the...

Cybertruck Vandal Left a Note
Cybertruck Vandal Left a Note
Apr 1, 2025 7:55 AM CDT

Cybertruck Vandal Left a Note

Tesla in Novato, California, was smashed with concrete rock, suspect is on the loose

(Newser) - As protests against Tesla continue around the nation, there's a manhunt underway in the Bay Area after a Tesla Cybertruck was vandalized in its owner's driveway—complete with a note left behind by the suspect. CBS News reports that a man wearing a dark hoodie and light-colored face...

Service Members Admit: Yep, We Swiped Paddington

Judge admonishes: 'Your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for'

(Newser) - They didn't look after this bear. In fact, two men who'd been drinking kicked and yanked on a statue of Paddington, the fictional orphaned bear who came to England from Peru, until it broke in half. Then they took it. A judge on Tuesday chastised the duo—both...

FBI Is Going After Tesla Attackers
FBI Has a New Tesla Task Force
Mar 25, 2025 12:38 PM CDT

FBI Has a New Tesla Task Force

Bureau is going after 'domestic terrorism' vandals targeting Elon Musk's EV brand

(Newser) - The FBI has a new task force that's going after vandals targeting Teslas in the wake of CEO Elon Musk's DOGE-related moves. As CNN reports, the bureau announced Monday that it will collaborate with the ATF in an effort to stem the attacks on Tesla dealerships, charging stations,...

In DC, a Battle Between Graffiti Lovers, Haters

'Eye-of-the-beholder dynamic' in nation's capital pits graffiti aficionados against those who clean it up

(Newser) - U Street is mostly deserted when Aceba Broadus and his three-person crew from the District of Columbia's Department of Public Works start setting up shop before 8am at one of DC's perennial graffiti hot spots. They tap a hydrant to fill the 275-gallon tank in their truck and...

Van Gogh Painting Gets a Soup Bath by Climate Activists
They Dumped Soup on a
Van Gogh. Now, Jail Time
UPDATED
Sep 28, 2024 7:00 AM CDT

They Dumped Soup on a Van Gogh. Now, Jail Time

Sunflowers wasn't harmed, but Just Stop Oil protesters will be spending some time behind bars

(Newser) - Two climate activists from the Just Stop Oil group will see jail time after dumping tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting in London's National Gallery. Citing PA Media, CNN reports that Phoebe Plummer, 23, and Anna Holland, 22, received sentences Friday of two years and 20 months, respectively,...

Vandal Smashes Ai Weiwei Sculpture
Vandal
Smashes
Ai Weiwei
Sculpture
Sep 23, 2024 11:04 AM CDT

Vandal Smashes Ai Weiwei Sculpture

Work of Chinese activist destroyed in Italy, though it may not be because of his politics

(Newser) - A vandal somehow got into an invite-only art show in Italy and smashed a large sculpture made by renowned Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, reports Reuters . Ai himself posted surveillance video of the act in Bologna on his Instagram account. "When I learned that it was my large porcelain artwork...

NPS: Tourists Went on Paintball Spree at Joshua Tree

German trio is accused of shooting up the national park with yellow paintballs

(Newser) - Three German tourists are personae non gratae at Joshua Tree National Park after the National Park Service says they were caught red-handed (or, in this case, yellow-handed) following a paintball vandalism spree. Citing a release , KTLA reports that a ranger making the rounds in the Southern California park on Aug....

Amsterdam's Anne Frank Statue Hit by Vandals Again

'Free Gaza' was scrawled in red paint across the base of the structure in Merwedeplein square

(Newser) - A statue of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, not far from the famous Anne Frank House, has been vandalized for the second time with a message regarding Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. CBS News reports that the structure was defaced on Sunday in Merwedeplein square, with "Free Gaza"...

France Hit With 2nd Bout of Vandalism Amid Games

Nation's government says telecommunications lines have been affected in multiple areas

(Newser) - The French government says multiple telecommunications lines have been hit by acts of vandalism, affecting fiber lines and fixed and mobile phone lines as cities around France are hosting events for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The scale of the impact is unclear, as is whether it has affected any Olympic...

Stonehenge Vandals Strike Ahead of Solstice

Environmental activists toss orange powder at monument ahead of annual event

(Newser) - A day before celebrations to honor the summer solstice at Britain's iconic Stonehenge, the monument received a surprise paint job. Environmental activists sprayed what authorities described as orange paint at two of the monument's megaliths on Wednesday, per the BBC . A video shared by the Just Stop Oil...

For King Charles' Birthday Honors, a Beheaded Statue

Monument in Australian city of Melbourne is now headless on King's Birthday holiday after vandalism

(Newser) - King Charles III was born in November, but on the second Monday of June, many states in Australia celebrate King's Birthday to pay tribute to the monarch's arrival on Earth. The celebration in Melbourne, however, got off to a bit of a dark start, after someone vandalized a...

Video Catches 'Appalling' Act by Lake Mead Vandals

Authorities are seeking public's help in identifying suspects who toppled ancient Nevada rocks

(Newser) - Park rangers are asking the public to help them identify two men spotted on video vandalizing ancient protected rock formations at Nevada's Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The AP reports that the suspects appear in footage shot in the late afternoon on April 7, along the park's Redstone...

Well, This Satanic Display in State Capitol Didn't Last Long

Ex-House candidate vandalizes representation of pagan idol erected by local Satanic Temple in Iowa

(Newser) - A controversial display erected in the state Capitol by the Satanic Temple of Iowa has been vandalized, after an earlier outcry about its presence in the government building, reports KCRG . "This morning, we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair,...

A Nation Grieves Over Felling of Iconic Tree
16-Year-Old Arrested
After Felling of Iconic Tree
UPDATED
Sep 28, 2023 11:19 AM CDT

16-Year-Old Arrested After Felling of Iconic Tree

Sycamore Gap tree in Northumberland, England, is cut down, and a teen is in custody

(Newser) - Authorities in northern England have arrested a 16-year-old boy who is accused of cutting down a world-famous tree, reports the BBC . The unidentified teen is being held on suspicion of criminal damage over the felling of the tree near Hadrian's Wall, a landmark from the Roman Empire, per the...

Beverly Hills Targets Young Vandals Prepping for Halloween

City bans those under 21 from possessing shaving cream, Silly String on Oct. 31

(Newser) - Beverly Hills has placed a ban on young people possessing everyday products abused by vandals in an effort to create a "safe, family-friendly environment" on Halloween. The city council voted 5-0 Tuesday to ban people under the age of 21 from possessing Silly String, shaving cream or gel, and...

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