KEY WEST, Florida— A Leesburg man turned himself in to authorities Thursday for vandalizing the Southernmost Point buoy in Key West on New Year’s Day.
Around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Key West Police and Key West Fire responded to a fire at the buoy, according to a Facebook post by Key West Police Department. They found the remnants of a charred Christmas tree and found the fire “left a burned scar three feet wide and seven feet tall,” causing more than $5,000 in damage.
Two suspects, later identified as David Brendan Perkins, 22, of Leesburg and Skyler Rae Jacobson, 21, of Henrietta, Texas, were seen on numerous surveillance cameras dragging the tree to the iconic buoy, hiding and setting the tree ablaze. The duo also took several photos of each other standing in front of the tree and buoy, before setting fire to the tree.
Key West Police issued warrants for the pair for criminal mischief and they arranged to turn themselves in, according to KWPD. Perkins was booked into the Monroe County Jail on no bond Thursday and Jacobson was still on the lam at press time.
Crews began repairing the buoy the day of the fire and expect it to be completed by Thursday night, police said.
