A sand grinch jumped a small fence and destroyed part of the "Sands of Time" sculpture at the University Mall Thursday afternoon.
Mall security officials reported that two white males circled the sculpture - 100 tons of sand being shaped in images representing Utah's centennial history. As soon as the sculptors took a break, one leaped the fence.The suspect knocked off the head of the American Indian figure and damaged the costuming as well as the beehive, buffalo, arch and rocks nearby.
The suspects ran out the south entrance and were not apprehended by mall security. However, eyewitnesses have supplied a solid description to police artists.
Chris Tobey, of United Sculptors of America, estimates the damage equates to $2,500 work and is the worst case of vandalism he's encountered as his company moves about the nation creating art.
"What is really unfortunate is that in an attempt to fix the top of the head, we will ruin the sand scene that is below," Tobey said.
The sculpture is built on sand that is created from the top down and sprayed with a resin that creates "an onion skin" as it is finished.