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Two tourists are facing criminal charges after allegedly stealing, trespassing and disrupting historic artefacts at the Cave Springs Cowboy Camp in Canyonlands National Park in Utah.
Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, from Durango, Colorado, are alleged to have “entered a fenced-off area” of the historic site where they then handled and stole antique artefacts.
According to an official statement released by the US Attorney’s Office, the historic camp was protected by fencing and clear warnings prohibiting visitors from entering the area.
CCTV footage appears to show the pair entering the site holding a bottle of beer, removing artefacts from a cabinet and handling historic harnesses “in a manner that had potential to damage them”.
The incident, which occurred in May, has led the pair to be accused of stealing “antique nails” on display.
Canyonlands National Park shared images of the pair on X, formerly Twitter, in the spring in a bid to identify the suspects.
The pair are charged with theft of government property worth less than $1,000 (£772), possessing or distributing cultural or archaeological resources and walking on or entering an archaeological or cultural resource, authorities said.
They are scheduled to appear before Chief US Magistrate Judge Dustin B. Pead at the United States District Court in Moab on Friday 8 November.
Canyonlands National Park is renowned for its spectacular desert landscapes and home to black bears, cougars, coyotes and golden eagles.
Pioneering cattlemen set up camp in this unforgiving landscape in the late 1800s, where they established successful cattle operations.
The camps were used up until 1975, when cattle ranching ended inside the park.
According to the National Park, many original items left by the cowboys remain at the camp.
The camp is also home to ancient rock carvings dating back 6,000 years which are believed to have been etched by indigenous people.
The Independent has contacted officials at Canyonlands National Park and the US Attorney’s Office for further comment.
The incident is the latest in a string of events in which tourists have been accused of vandalising or damaging protected sites in national parks across the US.
In April, two men were filmed smashing ancient and federally-protected red rock formations in Lake Mead National Park in Nevada.
In the same month, a tourist was believed to have toppled a 113-year-old tramway tower in Death Valley, California, sparking fury on social media.
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