SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – A Santa Fe man received his sentence for vandalizing ancient petroglyphs at the La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Area near Santa Fe.
According to court documents, Jesse Foster drove to the La Cieneguilla Petroglyph Area near Santa Fe on Oct. 19, 2022, and spray-painted several areas of the rocks near and around the petroglyphs.
Foster pled guilty to damage or defacement of archeological resources on Sept. 27, 2024. He was sentenced to six months probation and ordered to pay $1,996.44 in restitution. As part of his sentence, he must complete 98 hours of community service, with 48 hours specifically benefiting the Bureau of Land Management and the other 50 hours benefitting the community specifically in the realm of public lands and cultural conservation.