David Perkins Charged In Fire That Damaged Iconic Key West Buoy
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - One of two men accused of setting a Christmas tree on fire that damaged the iconic Southernmost Point buoy in Key West has turned himself in to police.
Twenty-two-year-old David Perkins, from Leesburg, has been charged with criminal mischief with damages over $1,000.
An arrest warrant has been issued for the second man, 21-year-old Skylar Jacobson of Henrietta, Texas. Key West police said arrangements have been made for Jacobson to turn himself in.
Police said the fire was set early New Year's Day morning at the Southernmost Point at the corner of South and Whitehead.
When police and fire rescue arrived, they found the charred embers of the Christmas tree. The fire left a burned scar on the Southernmost Buoy that was about three feet wide and seven feet tall.
Police said the two men were caught on multiple cameras. The footage, some of which quickly spread on social media, shows one man dragging the tree to the location. They hid when a car drove by. They then took several pictures on their phones of each other in front of the tree and buoy.
Then, while one man checked the surroundings, the other lit the tree, and a fire raged. One man took one last photo of the blazing tree before the two ran out of camera range.
Using several police resources, the men were quickly identified. The cost of the damage is estimated to be over $5,000.
Key West Public Works spent days restoring the buoy and completed their work Thursday night.