German Tourists Charged with Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park

Three German tourists have been cited after using paintball guns and slingshots to vandalize signs and other property at Joshua Tree National Park in California, according to park officials.

Three tourists from Germany have been cited after going on a paintball shooting rampage that defaced road signs, bathrooms, and dumpsters throughout Joshua Tree National Park in California, park officials said.

According to a press release from the National Park Services (NPS), on Sunday, a park ranger who was patrolling the Jumbo Rocks Campground at Joshua Tree National Park noticed "fresh yellow paintball splatter on structures and signs."

German Tourists Charged with Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park

Upon further investigation into the paintball splatters, the ranger spotted a slingshot in plain view inside a vehicle. Law enforcement rangers were called to the scene and they began questioning the visitors, who were tourists from Germany, who admitted to firing paintballs with a compressed paintball gun and slingshots the night before.

Inside their vehicle, rangers recovered three slingshots, a paintball marker, paintballs, and other related equipment as evidence. Rangers also learned that at least 11 roadway signs along Park Boulevard from Jumbo Rocks campground to the Maze Loop Trailhead, two miles from the west entrance of the park, had been shot with yellow paintballs.

German Tourists Charged with Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park

The three individuals were charged with a federal violation notice for vandalizing, defacing, or destroying property. The violation incurs a maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and/or not more than six months in prison, the NPS said.

Joshua Tree National Park Acting Chief Ranger Jeff Filosa condemned the vandalism, calling it a waste of time for staff members who could be prioritizing other tasks rather than cleaning up vandalism.

German Tourists Charged with Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park

"Defacing or altering the NPS landscape, no matter how small, is against the law," Filosa said. "It diminishes the natural environment that millions of people travel the world to enjoy. The park is regularly tasked with removing graffiti of all types, using time and resources that could be better dedicated to other priorities."

The incident is the latest in a string of vandalism cases at Joshua Tree National Park in recent years. In 2021, a group of people were caught spray-painting rocks and trees in the park. And in 2019, a man was arrested for carving his initials into a tree at the park.

German Tourists Charged with Vandalism at Joshua Tree National Park

Park officials are urging visitors to respect the park's resources and to report any vandalism or other suspicious activity to a park ranger.