IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Man Who Peed on Alamo Sentenced to 18 Months

A man who urinated on the famous Alamo in Texas has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Image:
An Alamo police officer stands guard at the gates to the grounds of the Alamo at dusk Jan. 9 in San Antonio. The Alamo, one of Texas' most important historic landmarks, gets more than 2.5 million visitors annually.Eric Gay / AP

A man who urinated on the famous Alamo in Texas has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Daniel Athens, 23, pleaded guilty in February in a San Antonio court to felony criminal mischief of a public monument or place of human burial.

The man had been arrested in April 2012 after he was found relieving himself on a front wall of the fort that was the site of a legendary 1836 battle in San Antonio between the Mexican army and Texas settlers.

On Monday, state District Judge Ray Olivarri sentenced Athens to a year and a half behind bars — the maximum time allowed under the plea agreement, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

Athens was also fined $4,000 to repair any damage to the Alamo, which was built in the 1750s by Spanish colonists.

When announcing the plea deal two months ago, Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed said in a statement, "The message is, 'Don't whiz on the Alamo.'"

— Hasani Gittens

Image:
An Alamo police officer stands guard at the gates to the grounds of the Alamo at dusk Jan. 9 in San Antonio. The Alamo, one of Texas' most important historic landmarks, gets more than 2.5 million visitors annually.Eric Gay / AP