47-year-old Daniela Ganassim Ericksen has been sentenced after getting caught on camera last year defacing petroglyphs in southern Utah. Kane County Utah Sheriff’s Office shared images of the Ericksen vandalizing the ancient drawings on Bureau of Land Management land near Buckskin and Wire Pass on November 23rd, 2024 which led to her identification.
Ericksen was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay $14,853.36 in fines and restitution. Prosecutors said the cost to repair the damage alone was excess of $11,000. As part of her probation she will be banned from BLM land and is required to send a letter of apology to “relevant stakeholder tribes in the area.”
Remember folks, leaving your mark in protected lands may seem like a cute idea to commemorate a visit but it disgraceful and can come with stiff penalties.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah:
Daniela Ganassim Ericksen, 47, of Ivins, Utah, was sentenced today after she vandalized petroglyphs on the Bureau of Land Management land located in in Kane County, Utah, in 2024.
The court ordered Ericksen to 12 months’ probation and ordered her to pay a total of $14,853.36 in fines and restitution. Ericksen was also ordered to send a letter of apology to the relevant stakeholder tribes in the area and is prohibited from entering on to Bureau of Land Management land during her probationary period.
According to court documents, on November 23, 2024, Ericksen entered onto U.S. BLM land near the confluence of Buckskin and Wire Pass in Kane County and vandalized archaeological resources, specifically a petroglyph panel. As a result of her illegal conduct, the cost to restore and repair the damage is $11,853.36.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Land Management. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
images from Kane County Sheriff’s Office
