A 22-year-old man allegedly used his car keys to carve his name into the limestone walls of the Monks’ Burial Room at the Alamo on Thursday.
Julio Perez was caught at the 18th-century UNESCO World Heritage site by a tour guide, according to USA Today. Alamo Rangers held Perez until the San Antonio police arrested him and charged with criminal mischief. Authorities accuse him of causing about $250,000 worth of damage with the 3-inch by 1-inch carving.
The San Antonio mission was the site of an 1836 battle during the Texas Revolution in which roughly 200 Texas settlers held off Mexican forces for 13 days before being overrun and slaughtered. It remains a symbol of courage in the face of insurmountable odds.
“Many Texans died here fighting for the independence of Texas. We don’t take it lightly when someone comes and desecrates this area,” Chief Mark Adkins of the Alamo Rangers told USA Today.
The Monks’ Room was open when the vandalism occurred, but it has since closed to the public so restoration experts can assess the damage.
An early electric hansom taxicab on a New York City street, circa 1900. The Electric Carriage and Wagon Company, the first taxicab company in New York City, began operating 12 electric hansom cabs in July 1897—a time when city traffic was overwhelmingly of the horse-drawn variety.Nathan Lazarnick—George Eastman House/Getty ImagesBy the 1920s, as demand for autos boomed, industrialists had recognized the potential of the taxi market. Automobile manufacturers like General Motors and the Ford Motor Company began operating fleets of cabs. Here, a New York City yellow cab in 1929.Museum of Modern Art/APNicknamed the "Sunshine" cab, taxis with a European-style sun roof were put into service in New York, June 19, 1936. The new fleet was the largest single order for new taxicabs in history. J. Stirling Getchell—APThe new model taxicab from Chevrolet is shown in New York City, May 17, 1950.Carl Nesensohn—APTaxis drive through the streets of Manhattan near 5th Avenue in New York City, 1972. The vehicles' signature yellow livery didn't become law until 1967, when the city ordered that all licensed "medallion taxis" be painted the same color, in order to cut down on unofficial drivers and make the cabs more recognizableEverett CollectionThe Checker Cab, used between 1956 and 1982, became one of the most recognizable symbols of mid-20th century urban life. Manufactured by the Checkered Cab Company, the iconic black-and-yellow taxi was advertised as a roomy and rugged alternative to the standard American passenger sedan.Wikimedia CommonsA gas-electric hybrid taxi drives on a street on March 1, 2011 in New York City. In May 2007, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a five-year plan to switch New York City's taxicabs to more fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. However, the plan was dropped after operators complained that the cost of maintaining the new cars outweighed the fuel savings. Today, New York City has around 4,300 hybrid taxis, representing almost 33 percent of the 13,237 taxis in service—the most in any city in North America.Chris Hondros—Getty ImagesA Nissan NV200 is unveiled in New York City on April 2, 2012. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the vehicle would serve as the city's exclusive taxicab for the next decade. The iconic New York City taxi has gotten a 21st-Century makeover, with low-annoyance horns, USB chargers for passengers and germ-fighting seats to cut down on bad odors. Taxi operators will be required to buy the Nissan NV 200 at a cost of about $29,000 starting in late 2013.City of New York/Getty Images
