After authorities identified the tourist who carved his and his girlfriend's initials into the Roman Colosseum, the fellow, 31-year-old Ivan Danailov Dimitrov, wrote a letter of apology. His excuse? He wasn't aware of the "monument's antiquity." Maybe he's telling the truth and had no idea that this incredible structure is old… very old… 2,000 years old, in fact. And that's depressing. Dimitriov is facing two to five years in prison and a fine up to 15,000 euros (~US$16,000).
From the New York Times:
In [his apology letter], Mr. Dimitrov acknowledged the "seriousness of the deed I committed," and offered his "heartfelt and sincere apologies to Italians and the entire world for the damage done to a monument, which is, in fact, heritage of all humanity." Mr. Dimitrov offered to "sincerely and concretely" right his wrong and redeem himself[…]
The brick that was defaced was actually part of a wall built during a mid-19th century restoration of the monument, which was inaugurated in the first century A.D. But that made little difference to Colosseum authorities who said that it didn't change the fact that the act was vandalism.
Mr. Dimitrov was eventually identified by Italian military police officers who crosschecked the two lovers' names with registered guests in Rome and found they had stayed in an Airbnb rental in the Cinecittà neighborhood. Roberto Martina, the police commander who oversaw the operation, said they tracked Mr. Dimitrov to England, where he and his girlfriend, who is not under investigation, live.
