Key West police name two suspects in Southernmost Point buoy-burning vandalism
Key West police on Thursday identified two men they said vandalized the island’s famous Southernmost Point buoy by setting a fire next to it on New Year’s Day.
Police have obtained arrest warrants for David B. Perkins Jr., 21, of Leesburg, Florida, and Skylar Rae Jacobson, 21, of Henrietta, Texas. The two have made arrangements to turn themselves in, police spokeswoman Alyson Crean said.
Both face charges of criminal mischief with damages over $1,000.
The incident took place at about 3:20 a.m. — and it was captured on video by a webcam pointed at the site 24/7.
The flames charred the front of the giant concrete buoy, one of the most recognized and photographed places in the Keys, ruining the painted design that’s done by hand.
It will cost at least $5,000 to restore, according to City Manager Patti McLauchlin.
“It’s frustrating,” McLauchlin said of the vandalism. “I don’t even understand the reasoning. There is no reasoning.“
City workers on Sunday started fixing the exterior of the colorful buoy, which was planted at the seaside spot in 1983 to mark the spot as “90 miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point, Continental U.S.A.”
It will likely be finished by Thursday night, according to the city’s Facebook page.
The vandalism didn’t stop tourists from posing in front of the landmark for photographs. The buoy, even while sporting the damage, was crowded on New Year’s Day
Police said Sunday that they knew who the suspects were but wouldn’t give their names or say where they live.
This article will be updated
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