Key West police are searching for two suspects who burned a portion of the Southernmost Point Buoy in the early morning of New Year’s Day.
Authorities say two men set fire to a Christmas tree in close proximity to the buoy around 3:30 a.m., the Associated Press reported. A portion of the multi-colored, four-ton cement buoy was scorched during the blaze. The buoy reads: “90 miles to Cuba, Southernmost Point, Continental U.S.A.”
A Facebook post from the Key West Police Department stated the two men have been identified. It remains unclear whether or not the suspects are in custody.
Breitbart News was unable to reach the department’s public information officer.
Video of the incident, obtained by the Miami Herald, shows the two suspects placing the tree in front of the landmark before setting the tree ablaze and fleeing the scene. The fire left a large black char on the face of the red white, yellow, and black buoy.
Later in the day, tourists flocked to the monument and took pictures next to the vandalized buoy.
The monument was damaged during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and artists restored the landmark, the Associated Press reported.
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