Vandals deface panels of ancient rock art

ST. GEORGE (AP) — The popular Land Hill petroglyph site has been vandalized again.

Federal officials are offering $500 for information leading to the identification of people involved in scratching "Bad Habits" into a panel of ancient rock art.

The vandals left other panels doubly damaged, including a rendering of a bighorn sheep.

The Bureau of Land Management believes the defacing occurred between June 1 and June 16.

Land Hill is part of the Santa Clara Reserve — 6,500 acres of public land — managed by multiple government agencies, which protect the archaeological sites. Some of the rock art in the area is more than 5,000 years old.

In May, the BLM reported Land Hill petroglyphs were scratched with the names "Ty," "Thomas," "Linda 2006," "Shanna" and "Brittney (heart) Steve." The agency said the damage cannot be permanently repaired.