Alleged Jerome statue vandal faces felony charge

An Aspen man is facing a felony charge after allegedly pushing over the statue of the man sitting on a bench in front of the Hotel Jerome on New Year’s Eve, according to a police report.

Alex Guevara, 39, was charged earlier this week with felony criminal mischief between $5,000 and $20,000, according to the Aspen Police Department. The statue will have to be shipped back to New Jersey for the repairs, which will take up much of the estimated $7,000 repair bill, said APD Sgt. Ryan Turner.

The statue, which is on loan to the hotel and located outside the entrance to the J Bar, was knocked over during the early morning hours of Jan. 1, according to the police report. Surveillance video from the hotel showed a man wearing a dark jacket and a hat with ear flaps push it over, the report states.

“After several attempts, the suspect successfully pulls the statue over and continues walking east on Main Street …” according to the report.

Guevara was identified because he returned to the hotel later with a woman and had drinks inside, the report states. Police tracked him through a reservation he made at the hotel that contained his phone number.

The statue is valued at $60,000.