Two subjects damaged this buoy, which in the place is considered a monument and a meeting point.
Photo: Key West Police Department / Courtesy
Florida police, who were trying to find Two men who set fire to a Christmas tree and damaged a beloved Key West landmark On New Year’s Eve, he received help from a strange source: a local bartender who recognized the suspects because they did not leave a tip.
Around 3 a.m. on January 1, The two men set fire to a Christmas tree in front of Southernmost Buoy, a famous local landmark that marks the southernmost point of the United States and determines the 90-mile distance to Cuba, according to the Key West Police Department.
The flames severely damaged the large concrete buoy, regarded as a beautiful local monument, so the police quickly posted a photo on social media to see if the community could help find the suspects.
“Police and firefighters arrived to find the charred embers of the Christmas tree. The fire left a scar on the buoy it is about three feet wide and seven feet tall, “the department said in a statement.
But what the two hooligans didn’t know was that his act was captured by multiple cameras (there is even a 24 hour webcam pointing at the buoy which can be viewed anytime online).
This is the video that shows the subjects who vandalized what is known as the “last point in Florida”, but which was not decisive in finding the men:
“The two suspects were caught on multiple cameras,” the department said. “The images, some of which quickly spread on social media, they show a man dragging the tree to the place. They hid when a car passed and then they took several photos with their phones in front of the tree and the buoy, “they added.
“Then, while one man was checking the surroundings, the other lit the tree and the fire broke out. One man took one last photo of the burning tree before the two were out of range of the camera, “they mentioned.
How they got to the vandals
But the police would get a lead on their suspects with the help of a local bar, Irish Kevin’s , when a bartender recognized one of the men for not leaving a tip after ordering drinks that night.
“I knew immediately that it had served him well and that he had used a card so his name would be on the receipts“Bartender Cameron Briody told the Miami Herald.
Daylin Starks, general manager of Irish Kevin, found security footage reportedly showing the suspects at the bar.
“We could follow them all the time, in and out of the bar,” he said. “We could see them being rejected by all the girls they tried to flirt with.”
Police later identified the suspects as David B. Perkins, Jr., 21, of Leesburg, Florida, and Skylar Rae Jacobson, 21, of Henrietta, Texas.
The city began repairs to the famous buoy on the same day of the fire, and damages are estimated to exceed $ 5,000.
Each of the men faces a felony charge of “criminal mischief” with more than $ 1,000 in damages.
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eldiariony.com
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.