MOAB, Utah — Two Colorado residents are facing criminal charges for allegedly destroying historical artifacts at a site at Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah.
In May, the National Park Service asked for help finding the two people who were caught on camera entering a fenced-off area at Cave Spring Cowboy Camp in the Needles district of the park and removing the artifacts from a cabinet.
The park service said the two suspects "handled historic harnesses in a manner that had potential to damage them."
In a release Monday, the Department of Justice said Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, of Durango, Colorado were identified and charged with theft of government property and walking on or entering archaeological or cultural resource.
"National parks are some of the most special, treasured, and protected areas of our country. To protect their natural and cultural resources for this and future generations, all visitors to national parks are expected to follow park laws and regulations and practice Leave No Trace principles to minimize their impact on park lands," the park service wrote in its original announcement.
Both McKnight and Spencer are scheduled to make their initial appearance at the United States District Court in Moab on Friday.
