Lookout Mountain graffiti suspects caught on video and posted to YouTube

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. -- The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help to find two suspects accused of spraying graffiti on rocks on Lookout Mountain.

A local resident, who's asked not to be identified because the suspects threatened him, posted video of the suspects on YouTube.

He wrote, "On August 20, 2016, my fiancé and I heard rattling spray paint cans in the distance. When I investigated, I found two young men spray painting boulders. However, I was only able to get evidence of one of them in act with this video."

He spoke to Denver7 Monday about his run-in with the vandals. 

"I couldn't believe someone was doing that in broad daylight," he said. "People are telling me now that I was brave for going up to them. I just wasn't thinking at the time because I just wanted to get video evidence of them doing it." 

"As they were leaving and getting in their car, they said put this online and we'll find you."

Hikers in the park looked at the damage still there in disbelief.

"Why would someone do this?" asked Kim Setterstrom, shaking her hand. "It does look bad. It really does. This has got to stop."

In June, Casey Nocket was sentenced to probation for defacing national parks across the country, including two in Colorado, and the case got national attention.

"This is absolutely a serious crime. We live in Colorado. It's beautiful here," said Mark Techmeyer, a spokesman with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.

Techmeyer said they are now looking for the most recent vandals, and while they appreciate the video evidence, they don't recommend getting it in cases like this.

"It could tend to be very dangerous. The reaction of suspects like this wouldn't always be that they walk away from this man, as they did in this instance," said Techmeyer.

But the man who posted the video, a nature lover and weekend warrior, said he would do it again to send a message to people who would deface nature.

"Hopefully, they're found and there is some kind of justice for what they did," he said. "I don't want it to ruin their lives, but I want there to be some form of accountability for them."

Techmeyer said the vandals could face a misdemeanor defacement of property charge, with a punishment of up to a year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office posted the video on Facebook and said, "Recognize these suspects? Pease call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 303-271-5612, or Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867). And please share this video to help us identify these individuals."