The Illinois Police are currently hunting for a couple who vandalized a 425-million-year old sandstone at the Starved Rock State Park.
Earlier this week, a couple visited the state park and vandalized the sandstone, by carving in a heart and their initials.
The image of the couple was first shared on Instagram. The image went viral and it triggered an investigation right away.
An investigation was launched by the Illinois Conservation Police.
Starved Rock and Matthiessen State Parks released a statement about the incident.
They said, “Art is beautiful, but it is not meant to be carved drawn, or painted on natural features at state and national parks.”
The statement added, “Don’t be like John and Jane Doe pictured here who decided to paint on Council Overhang which is a 425 million-year-old sandstone formation at the park used for 8,000 years as a Native American gathering place. One of our largest problems at the park are visitors who do not respect the parks trails, exhibits, buildings, interpretive panels on trails, and the natural sandstone features.”
Kerry Novak, the superintendent of the Park, said that an eyewitness came into the administration office of the park on the 2nd of September, 2019, to report vandalism.
The eye witness said the couple vandalized the wall at Council Overhang and took pictures of the graffiti and placed it on Instagram.
Novak went to social media and searched for the picture himself.
The Superintendent found the disgusting photo on Instagram, and it showed the couple.
During an interview with a local news agency, Superintendent Novak said the couple looked proud of what they did.
He added, “If you bring your family here, you want to see a beautiful natural area. You don’t want to see this sort of thing.”
Anyone who knows the couple is being asked to share information with the police and call them at call 815-667-4726.