If Vanessa Hudgens knew that her sweet vacation would turn into an investigation nightmare, she wouldn't have gone to Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona with boyfriend Austin Butler. Hudgens came under fire right after their pictures appeared on Instagram, which showed some carvings on the rock formation.
According to a Yahoo News report, the 27-year-old actress, together with her boyfriend, went to Sedona during Valentine's Day Weekend. Being in a romantic mood and atmosphere, the couple took pictures of themselves against the rock formations. The only thing though is that the photo captured images of a heart with "Austin + Vanessa" scratched onto the rock's face, leaving authorities to wonder whether the celebrity couple had something to do with the defacement.
The Instagram post was made by Hudgens on Monday, a day after Valentine's. Since the investigation, the post has already been deleted, albeit, the pictures are still circulating on social media.
In a report by NBC News, National Forest Service Officer Brady Smith said that, "We have found that when one person carves something, it encourages others to carve." He also mentioned that preventing people from carving on the rock surfaces has been a challenge.
Defacing Arizona rocks is classified as a Class 2 misdemeanor, carrying a penalty of imprisonment for 6 months maximum and/or a $5,000 fine. According to Smith, since the incident is still being investigated, he can no longer say much more about it.
According to one officer from the Coconino National Forest, "Officials at the Coconino National Forest became aware of the incident when the media alerted them of the situation." He also added that, "There is no deadline for this investigation -- it takes as long as it takes."
As for any comment from Vanessa Hudgens or her rep regarding the Arizona incident, it's still a waiting game for the press. For sure, it would be a long while before she'll visit the Sedona again.
