Man accused of carving name into Alamo wall, causing $250K in damage

by Anusha Ghosh Roy

The shrine of Texas liberty became the target of a vandal.
A man is accused of using a car key to carve his name inside the Alamo.
San Antonio police said Julio Perez, 22, scratched his name inside the Monks' Burial Room, damaging the newly designated World Heritage Site.

"Many Texans died here fighting for the independence of Texas. We don't take it lightly when someone comes and desecrates this area," Chief Mark Adkins with the Alamo Rangers said.
The Alamo is more than 250 years old. The Monks' Burial Room is cordoned off for the investigation. The three inch by one inch carving left around $250,000 of damage, according to the police report.
The Alamo was open when the wall was damaged, which is how investigators believe Perez got inside.
According to the police report, a tour guide spotted Perez and alerted the Alamo Rangers, who are in charge of security. They held Perez until San Antonio Police arrested him.
Perez is now facing charges of second degree felony criminal mischief.
Preservation experts are working on a plan to fix the damage.