In August 2019, a sand sculpture in Waikiki was vandalized, leading to an arrest made by the Honolulu Police Department. The suspect, a 15-year-old girl, was taken into custody after the incident was captured on security cameras at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel around 11 p.m. scroll down to watch the video.
The surveillance footage showed two girls involved in the act: one damaging the sand sculpture while the other recorded the incident on a cell phone. As the suspect is a minor, her identity has not been revealed by the authorities.
The arrested teenager is a resident of Hawaii and has been charged with criminal property damage. Interviews with visitors highlighted the disappointment over the destruction of the artwork and the effort it took to create it.
Jill Harris, co-owner of Sandsational Sand Sculptures, shared that her partner, Thomas Koet, traveled to Hawaii to address the damage and restore the sculpture to its original state. They took responsibility for repairing the artwork and began the restoration process promptly.
In an update on August 23, 2019, Honolulu police made another arrest in the sand sculpture vandalism case. A 17-year-old girl was taken into custody on suspicion of second-degree criminal property damage. This arrest followed the earlier apprehension of the 15-year-old girl, both of whom are being held accountable for their actions.
