Lucien Lionel Chenier Charged With Spray Painting His Name On Grand Canyon
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So much for "leave no trace."
A Canadian man faces two federal charges after allegedly spray painting his name on a famous Grand Canyon National Park rock formation.
Lucien Lionel Chenier, visiting Monday from Ottawa, Ontario, only managed to scrawl "LUCI" in red letters on the Duck on a Rock outcrop before his screaming tour leader and other bystanders stopped him, the National Parks Traveler reported.
When asked why he thought it would be wise to graffiti the popular landmark, Chenier said that "It was so special that if he left his name then his kids would be able to see it 20 years from now," according to a U.S. District Court complaint filed by Ranger David Robinson.
"I observed a male matching [the] description as the vandal walking towards me from the direction of Duck on a Rock," Robinson wrote in the complaint, obtained by the Ottawa Citizen. "I made contact with the man and asked where he had been. He replied by pointing down at the rock where the red spray paint was visible."
Chenier managed to further infuriate fellow visitors and park employees by throwing the spray paint can into the canyon.
The Duck on a Rock, located between Grandview and Yaki points, is a popular destination for the nearly five million people who visit Grand Canyon National Park each year.
The national park has dealt with approximately 50 acts of vandalism annually in recent years. Removing Chenier's work from the rock surface will cost an estimated $8,000.
Chenier faces two criminal counts, one for damaging U.S. property and a second for disposing "of refuse in other than a refuse receptacle."
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First Posted: 09/02/11 01:11 PM ET Updated: 11/02/11 06:12 AM ET