Suspects in Southernmost Buoy Fire to be Arrested
Key West Police have obtained warrants for two men suspected of torching a Christmas tree at the Southernmost Point and defacing the landmark buoy.
They are David B. Perkins, Jr., 21, of Leesburg, Florida and Skylar Rae Jacobson, 21, of Henrietta Texas.
Both face charges of criminal mischief with damages over $1,000.
The two suspects have made arrangements to turn themselves in.
At about 3:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Key West Police and Key West Fire and Rescue were called to a reported fire at the Southernmost Point at the corner of South and Whitehead. They arrived to find the charred embers of the Christmas tree. The fire left a burned scar on the Southernmost Buoy that was about three feet wide and seven feet tall.
The two suspects were caught on multiple cameras. Footage, some of which quickly spread on social media, shows one man dragging the tree to the location. They hid when a car drove by, then took several pictures on their phones of each other in front of the tree and buoy.
Then, while one man checked the surroundings, the other lit the tree, and a fire raged. One man took one last photo of the blazing tree before the two ran out of camera range.
Using several police resources, the men were quickly identified. The cost of the damage is estimated to be over $5,000.
Key West Public Works began repairing the buoy the same day. The iconic marker is an important location where tourists from all over the globe pose for photos.
[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0] They are David B. Perkins, Jr., 21, of Leesburg, Florida and Skylar Rae Jacobson, 21, of Henrietta Texas.
Both face charges of criminal mischief with damages over $1,000.
The two suspects have made arrangements to turn themselves in.
At about 3:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Key West Police and Key West Fire and Rescue were called to a reported fire at the Southernmost Point at the corner of South and Whitehead. They arrived to find the charred embers of the Christmas tree. The fire left a burned scar on the Southernmost Buoy that was about three feet wide and seven feet tall.
The two suspects were caught on multiple cameras. Footage, some of which quickly spread on social media, shows one man dragging the tree to the location. They hid when a car drove by, then took several pictures on their phones of each other in front of the tree and buoy.
Then, while one man checked the surroundings, the other lit the tree, and a fire raged. One man took one last photo of the blazing tree before the two ran out of camera range.
Using several police resources, the men were quickly identified. The cost of the damage is estimated to be over $5,000.
Key West Public Works began repairing the buoy the same day. The iconic marker is an important location where tourists from all over the globe pose for photos.
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