Vanessa Hudgens is facing a criminal investigation over defacing a red rock in Arizona. The actress thought she was just celebrating a romantic getaway in Arizona with her boyfriend, Austin Butler, but after she uploaded a photo of their names carved into a red rock things took a more serious turn.
The photo has since been deleted, but others remain on her Instagram account that made it clear that the two were in the town of Sedona.
The Coconino National Forest which maintains the land in Sedona was alerted about the photo which is when the media got involved as well. There is a federal law specifically about “damaging natural surfaces or property of the United States,” and it appears that the love birds may have done so.
Defacing the red rocks in the forest is highly illegal, and is an offense that is punishable by up to six months of jail time and a maximum $5,000 fine.
There is no word yet however if the rock carving has been found inside the 250 square-mile Red Rock Ranger District.
Coconino National Forest representative Brady Smith acknowledged that “People make mistakes whether knowingly or unknowingly,” but that the offense is still an illegal one.
Vanessa has had some ups and downs lately. Just earlier this month the star lost her father to cancer shortly before she had to take the stage for Grease Live. Ever a professional, she kept it together and gave a standout performance despite the circumstances.