4 Utah students charged in spray painting BYU cougar statue

Four University of Utah students accused of spray-painting a cougar statue at Brigham Young University the day of the rivalry football game have been charged with criminal mischief.

Online court records show that the students were charged Monday with misdemeanors.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports a BYU police report says the suspects were caught on Sept. 9 when they returned to the statue to take selfies and other photographs. Police say they acknowledged they had painted the statue. Three of them had spray paint on their hands.

The suspects are 18-year-old Jackson Horspool; 19-year-old Amy Newman; 18-year-old Lane Hogan; and 21-year-old Beu Maimer.

None of them had attorneys listed in court records Wednesday or listed telephone numbers.

Provo City Attorney Stephen Schreiner says they won’t face jail time if convicted but could get fined several hundred dollars.