A social media influencer livestreaming his visit to the Grand Canyon is now facing federal charges for defacing a historic archeological landmark while he broadcast the alleged crime to thousands of viewers.
Kick.com personality Thanh Cong Ngo – who goes by “Crazytawn” online – used a rock to etch “KICK.COM” into an ancient sandstone formation at Horseshoe Bend, a revered attraction near Page, Arizona, according to a probable cause affidavit first obtained by The Independent.
The crude graffito measured 36 inches long by six inches tall, and was dug into the soft stone by as much as a quarter-inch, states the affidavit, which was unsealed Thursday. It was “done purposefully and with blatant disregard for the preservation of natural resources,” according to the affidavit.
“The damage caused by carving this inscription into the rock is permanent and cannot be undone,” it says, noting that Ngo livestreamed his “entire interaction” with the National Park Service (NPS) ranger who later caught up with him at a local motel.
Horseshoe Bend is described by local tourism authorities as a “mesmerizing geological wonder that showcases the incredible forces of nature at work.”
Ngo was unable to be reached for comment. His public defender, Sarah Kosnoff Erlinder, was out of the office on Thursday and did not respond to an emailed request.
On his Kick channel, Ngo’s bio invites viewers to “[d]ive into the world of IRL streaming with me as I navigate carlife in my trusty Prius. Explore the wonders of our beautiful planet, one stream at a time.” Ngo has more than 30,000 followers on the platform, where he hit an all-time record in December 2023, clocking in at 525,000 viewers. Last year, Ngo was taken to task by outraged viewers after he claimed he had been abusing his dog.
Ngo’s alleged wrongdoing at Horseshoe Bend first came to the attention of law enforcement by way of an anonymous tip submitted to the NPS online portal on January 5, according to the affidavit.
The tipster said they had watched Ngo’s livestream from the Grand Canyon, and that at about seven hours in, he could be seen scratching KICK.COM into a sandstone outcropping, the affidavit states. An NPS ranger located the footage as part of a stream titled, “ROADTRIP HORSESHOE BEND > GRAND CANYON > SEDONA STARLINK, it says.
In it, Ngo could be seen walking down a trail at Horseshoe Bend, throwing rocks, the affidavit goes on. He then “approached a portion of sandstone and carved the words ‘KICK.COM’” into it, the affidavit says.
“The video clearly shows the suspect by himself, vandalizing the sandstone resource by hand using a small rock,” the affidavit continues. “The suspect used significant effort to deepen the inscription into the rock by going over the area multiple times with force and friction… This crime was recorded via video and livestreamed onto KICK.COM… The crime was viewed by approximately 3,600 people at the time I reviewed the video footage.”
One of Ngo’s other streams showed him traveling to a Best Western in Page, Arizona, according to the affidavit. It says the NPS ranger rendezvoused there with local police and quickly spotted Ngo in the parking lot.
Ngo was packing up his car, preparing to leave the area, the affidavit states. The NPS ranger conducted what the affidavit describes as a “short interview” with Ngo while Ngo streamed the conversation.
“Ngo admitted to defacing and vandalizing the natural resource located at Horseshoe Bend and stated that he did not know it was illegal,” according to the affidavit, which says Ngo was cooperative in answering the ranger’s questions. “He also stated that due to there being other vandalism in the area[,] he thought it was ok to do.”
The National Park Service takes misconduct complaints extremely seriously. In 2020, three men were permanently banned from Yellowstone National Park after they were caught cooking chickens in one of the park’s famed thermal hot springs. Earlier this month, a pair of tourists were found guilty of damaging 140-million-year-old sandstone formations in Nevada’s Lake Mead National Park.
Ngo was issued a citation for vandalism, a misdemeanor. If convicted, he faces up to a year behind bars and a $100,000 fine. He is due to make his initial court appearance on Friday.
