Woman who defaced Utah’s ancient petroglyphs finally get sentenced

Now She Owes $15,000 and an Apology

On November 23, 2024, hikers at a popular Utah slot canyon watched a woman carving into ancient rock art.

They told her to stop. She didn’t. So they took photos. One week later, federal agents arrested her.

One year later, a court ordered her to pay nearly $15,000 and write apology letters to the tribes whose ancestors made those carvings thousands of years ago.

The petroglyphs she damaged sit at the entrance to one of the longest slot canyons in the world, and the reason this case matters goes far beyond one woman with a rock.

Hikers Watched and Took Photos

The incident happened at the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, about 25 miles southwest of Big Water in Kane County, Utah.

A witness saw two people carving into the petroglyph panel and tried to stop them.

When they didn’t listen, the witness took photos and reported the damage to the Bureau of Land Management and the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.

Those photos would prove crucial. Within days, the images spread across social media and sparked public outrage across Utah and beyond.

The Carvings Are Up to 5,000 Years Old

Bureau archaeologists consider Wire Pass an ancient travel corridor.

The petroglyphs at the site date back to the pre-agricultural Archaic period, somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago.

The panel features bighorn sheep, human figures, and what some believe is a map of Buckskin Gulch itself.

Ancestral Puebloan peoples added their own carvings over the centuries. For thousands of years, the rock wall served as a kind of message board.

Buckskin Gulch Runs 13 Miles Deep

The damaged petroglyphs sit at the mouth of Buckskin Gulch, often called the longest slot canyon in North America. The gulch stretches more than 13 miles through southern Utah, with walls that rise up to 500 feet.

Wire Pass Trail provides the easiest access, drawing hikers from around the world to walk through the narrow, water-carved sandstone.

The petroglyph panel sits just past where Wire Pass opens into Buckskin Gulch, making it one of the first things visitors see.

Sheriff Released Her Photo for $1,000 Reward

The day after the vandalism, the Kane County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance-style images of the woman standing in front of the rock panel.

The Bureau of Land Management offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to a conviction. Tips poured in.

The combination of clear photos and public anger made this case different from most petroglyph vandalism incidents, where perpetrators are rarely identified.

Within a week, investigators had a name.

Agents Arrested Her in St. George

On November 30, 2024, federal agents arrested Daniela Ganassim Ericksen, 47, in St. George, Utah.

She lived in Ivins, a small city about 10 miles from St. George in Washington County. Jail records showed she was booked on a federal warrant.

The BLM’s Paria River District Manager told reporters she faced potential multiple felony counts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Utah took over the prosecution.

The Charge Carried Up to Two Years in Prison

Ericksen was charged under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, the federal law that protects artifacts and sites on public land.

First-time violators can face up to two years in prison, fines up to $20,000, and forfeiture of any equipment used in the crime.

The law was designed to stop looters and vandals from destroying irreplaceable pieces of American history. Most cases involve digging for artifacts, but defacing rock art falls under the same statute.

Repairs Will Cost Nearly $12,000

The Bureau of Land Management estimated the cost to restore and repair the damage at $11,853.36.

But officials were clear that the site would never fully recover.

A BLM spokesman said vandalism destroys irreplaceable pieces of history that can never be made 100% whole again.

Professional conservators can remove some marks and stabilize the surface, but the original carvings now carry scars that will remain visible for centuries.

Tribal Leaders Called It Desecration

Autumn Gillard, the cultural resource manager for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, said the incident was disrespectful to tribal people across the state.

She compared the vandalism to someone breaking into a temple and covering the walls with graffiti. For tribal members, petroglyphs are not just art or history.

They are sacred sites, places where ancestors left messages that still carry spiritual meaning. The Wire Pass panel holds particular significance to the Southern Paiute people.

Ericksen Pleaded Guilty in June

On June 30, 2025, Ericksen entered a guilty plea to a single federal count of unauthorized damage, alteration, or defacement of an archaeological resource.

The plea agreement reduced her potential sentence but still carried significant penalties. She had initially faced the possibility of up to one year in jail and 60 months of probation.

The guilty plea came seven months after her arrest and set the stage for sentencing.

Court Ordered $15,000 and a Written Apology

On November 17, 2025, nearly one year after the vandalism, a federal court sentenced Ericksen to 12 months of probation and ordered her to pay $14,853. 36 in fines and restitution.

The amount covered the full repair cost plus an additional $3,000 fine.

The court also ordered her to write a letter of apology to all relevant stakeholder tribes in the area. It was an unusual requirement that forced her to directly address the people her actions had harmed.

She Cannot Step on BLM Land for a Year

As part of her probation, Ericksen is banned from entering any Bureau of Land Management land for the next 12 months.

In Utah, where the BLM manages about 23 million acres, that restriction covers a significant portion of the state’s public lands.

She cannot hike Wire Pass, visit Buckskin Gulch, or access dozens of other popular recreation areas.

The ban ensures she stays away from the petroglyphs she damaged and from thousands of other archaeological sites across the region.

Most Vandals Are Never Caught

Archaeologists who study rock art damage say Ericksen’s prosecution is rare.

A Wyoming study found that at least 157 of the state’s 666 known petroglyph sites have been vandalized, and most perpetrators are never identified.

The Wire Pass case succeeded because a witness took clear photos and reported the crime immediately.

In 2021, someone defaced Moab’s Birthing Rock with racist graffiti and obscenities. The BLM offered a $10,000 reward.

That case remains unsolved. Ericksen now serves as an example of what happens when vandals get caught.

Visiting Wire Pass Trail and Buckskin Gulch, Utah

Wire Pass Trail starts at a trailhead 8.3 miles south of Highway 89 on House Rock Valley Road, between Kanab and Page.

You need a day-use permit, which costs $6 per person and must be purchased online in advance at Recreation. gov.

The 1.7-mile trail leads through a slot canyon to Buckskin Gulch, where the petroglyph panel sits near the confluence.

The road is dirt and can wash out after rain, so check conditions before driving. Do not touch the petroglyphs or any rock surfaces.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Missouri’s futuristic dome changed how we grow tropical plants forever
• Teddy Roosevelt called this the “handsomest State Capitol I ever saw”
• Mississippi had a plantation so exclusive, luxury trains made private stops ther