Nov. 14 (UPI) — Tokyo authorities arrested a 65-year-old U.S. tourist for allegedly defacing the gate of a local shrine. Police detained the suspect, identified as Steven Lee Hayes, at his hotel Wednesday afternoon after an investigation into the gate’s defacing at the Meiji Shine in Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward using video surveillance led authorities to him.
Hayes allegedly “carved alphabet letters onto a pillar of a gate of a shrine.” He allegedly used his fingernails to etch the letters on the torii gates of the Meiji Shrine on Tuesday.
Japanese authorities said Hayes had arrived in Tokyo on Monday for a sightseeing trip with his family. Police said they are also investigating etching cut into pillars of another shrine, as well.
There were no details about where Hayes was from in the United States or whether he remained in custody.
