2 charged with breaking the ear off Penn State’s Nittany Lion shrine
Two people are facing charges for allegedly breaking the ear off the Nittany Lion shrine on Penn State’s campus over State Patty’s Day weekend.
Matthew Ian Deutch, 19, of Fairfield, Conn., and Skylar Belden, 18, of Broadway, N.C., each face summary charges of criminal mischief and tampering with evidence in the Feb. 24 incident.
According to police, the right ear of Penn State’s “Symbol of our Best” was broken off at about 2:30 p.m. near the intersection of Curtin and Burrowes roads.
“The defendant(s) recklessly tampered with tangible property of another so as to endanger said property,” the criminal complaint read. “The defendant(s) knocked the right ear off the Nittany Lion Shrine and left it lay, endangering the property.”
The statue’s damaged ear has since been fixed by Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant.
Deutch and Belden were identified through the use of a surveillance photo circulated by Penn State police.
The two were arraigned before District Judge Steven Lachman. Their summary trial is set for April 17.
This story was originally published March 27, 2018 at 4:53 PM with the headline "2 charged with breaking the ear off Penn State’s Nittany Lion shrine."