Another suspect charged in Plaza obelisk destruction
Feb. 20—The New Mexican
The Santa Fe Police Department announced Friday charges were filed against another suspect in connection with the destruction of the Plaza obelisk.
Zak Young, 26, faces charges of criminal damage to property over $1,000; conspiracy; unlawful assembly; criminal trespass; and resisting, evading or obstructing an officer, according to a news release.
Protesters toppled the monument using ropes and chains during a protest on Indigenous Peoples Day following three days of demonstrations on the Plaza.
The obelisk was dedicated to soldiers who fought in the Civil War, but it also had an inscription honoring the "heroes" who died in battle with "savage Indians."
In June, Mayor Alan Webber said he intended to remove the monument. Yet for several months, it remained. Calls for the city to remove the obelisk came to a head during an Oct. 12 rally.
Workers were building a barrier around the obelisk before the rally turned violent. Surveillance video shows protesters using wooden boards left by a construction crew to help position rope around the monument before toppling it.
Young is one of at least seven people accused of participating in destroying the controversial monument. Other defendants include Lily Sage Schweitzer, 33; Ryan Witt, 29; Dawn Furlong, 46; Melissa Rose, 44; Lauren Straily, 28; and Stephen Fox, 72.
Santa Fe Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone else involved in destroying the obelisk.
Police urged anyone with information to contact Capt. Anthony Tapia at matapia@santafenm.gov or 505-955-5286.
