Federal authorities have provided a major update in their investigation into two men who were caught on camera destroying a protected and delicate natural rock formation.
Wyatt Clifford Fain, 37, and Payden David Guy Cosper, 31, have been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly pushing “large chunks of ancient rock formations over the edge of a cliff and into the ground” at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in April, according to the The US Department of Justice announced this on Friday.
The incident reportedly occurred while the two men were hiking on or near the Redstone Dunes Trail, and a video taken by a witness to the event purportedly shows the two men working hard to push the rock formation, estimated to be 140 million years old, off the edge.
Behind them a young woman, the daughter of one of the men, could be seen horrified and screaming intermittently as the rocks fell.
“Dad, don’t fall,” he yells as the two men push chunks of rock over the edge and watch as they shatter as they crash into the side of the cliff.
A grand jury has indicted two men for allegedly pushing “large chunks of ancient rock formations over the edge of a cliff and into the ground” at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in April.
Payden David Guy Cosper, 31 (pictured) and Wyatt Clifford Fain, 37, each face one count of battery and depredation of government property and one count of aiding and abetting.
Authorities then described the behaviour as extremely damaging and noted that the ancient stones cannot be repaired.
John Haynes, a public information officer for the park, said KVVU:It’s one of my favorite places in the park and they’re up there destroying it. I don’t understand it.
“Why would you do something like that? Why on earth would you do something like that? In some ways, this almost seems like a personal attack,” he added.
Federal prosecutors now say Fain and Cosper’s actions resulted in more than $1,000 in damages.
As a result, the two men each face one count of battery and depredation of government property and one count of aiding and abetting.
The men were allegedly caught on camera as they worked hard to push the ancient rock formation off the edge of a cliff.
They were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service and the couple made an initial court appearance on Friday, where they both pleaded not guilty. according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
They were then released on their own recognizance, meaning that only an oath is required to be released.
But court records obtained by DailyMail.com show Fain had previously been arrested on charges including assault with use of a deadly weapon, reckless driving, destruction of personal property and domestic violence by strangulation.
If convicted on the new charges for allegedly destroying the ancient rock formation, both Fain and Cosper could face up to 10 years in prison.
His jury trial has been scheduled for October 8.
Meanwhile, officials are asking visitors to Lake Mead Park to be vigilant.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area, located just outside Las Vegas, receives about 6 million visitors each year.
Park staff cannot be physically present throughout the entire 2,344-square-mile area, meaning they sometimes rely on the public to monitor some of the park’s sites.
“It’s 1.5 million acres. We’ve got two large lakes and a portion of the Colorado River. With the amount of staff we have, it’s pretty difficult to be everywhere at once,” Haynes said.
To assist park staff in keeping an eye on the public, the National Park Service operates a tip line that receives thousands of calls each year.
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