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SALT LAKE CITY — Four men face federal charges for allegedly vandalizing a historic building and stealing emergency gear at Timpanogos Cave National Monument more than a year ago.
The cave wasn't damaged, but the windows of a 1930s-era stone restroom near the top of the trail were broken out, and the inside masonry wall of a storage room was spray-painted with graffiti in February 2015. Search and rescue gear, including climbing harnesses, backpacks and carabiners, was stolen.
The cave was closed for the season at the time and there was snow on the trail.
"We really don’t know what was going through these guys' heads," said cave superintendent Jim Ireland, adding the equipment wouldn't be easily pawned. "It's really senseless."
Ireland said the gear has been replaced, the windows repaired and the graffiti removed, estimating the cost at $3,000 to $5,000.
A National Park Service team working on the upper trail noticed the damage and found first aid and rescue equipment scattered along the trail.
The Utah U.S. Attorney's Office said it can't talk about the evidence it has, but law enforcement used the discarded items to track down the men.
Federal prosecutors charged Angel Sebastian Gonzalez, 20, of West Jordan; Chase Colby Thornwall, 20, of Taylorsville; Russell Benitez Thornwall, 19, of West Jordan; and Nico Benitez Thornwall, 20, of Murray, with theft of government property and destruction of government property.
A summons will be issued for their arrests, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. They face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Chase Thornwall pleaded guilty in state court to misdemeanor theft and vehicle burglary charges in 2014, while Angel Gonzalez entered a plea in abeyance to the same charges, court records show.
Nico Thornwall admitted to misdemeanor drug charges in 2015 and was charged in January with felony and misdemeanor drug offenses, according to state court records.
