23-year-old Daniel Athens will spend 18 months in a state jail for urinating on the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.
An Alamo ranger discovered Athens relieving himself on the landmark on the evening of April 14, according to the Daily Mail.
A police arrest report states that the 23-year-old was “making the motions of putting his penis back in his pants and saw a puddle on the original mortar of the Shrine and Next to the shrine.”
The ranger noticed signs that indicated Mr. Athens was drunk. The report said Athens “had bloodshot eyes, and the odor of intoxication on his breath. When I asked [him] to stand up, he was unsteady on his feet and almost fell to the ground.”
Urinating on the Alamo is considered a serious charge, especially since the historic building is made of limestone, which absorbs salt.
“Urine contains salt and the limestone absorbs salt and then pushes the salt out,” the arrest report said. “When the salt gets pushed out so does the face of the limestone and through this process the urine contributes to the eroding of the limestone.”
In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo, according to the San Antonio News-Express. As a result, the rocker was banned from San Antonio but eventually came back to the city for a concert over ten years later. Upon his return, Osbourne reportedly gave a $10,000 donation to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
The Daily Mail reported that an individual may receive up to two years in jail for urinating on the landmark. Athens received a relatively short sentence for his crime because he accepted a deal in February related to another criminal charge that “capped” his possible jail time.
Athens’ urine caused an estimated $4,000 worth of damage to the 250-year-old Alamo. He was ordered to pay a fee that will cover the repair costs.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.