Marines Plead Not Guilty to Vandalizing Zoo Ride

More than 100 people were stuck on San Diego gondola for up to 2 hours
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 1, 2022 1:52 AM CST
Updated Feb 9, 2022 2:33 PM CST
4 Arrested After 100 Trapped on San Diego Zoo Ride
Stock photo of an aerial tram.   (Getty Images / underworld111)

Update: Four Marines accused of rocking a gondola at the San Diego Zoo so hard that the aerial ride automatically shut down have pleaded not guilty to felony vandalism. The active-duty Marines—identified by military officials as Sgt. Jacob Dean Bauer, 23; Cpl. Brandon Gregory Cook, 21; Lance Cpl. Brayden Stone Posey, 20; and Lance Cpl. Marquette Alexander Williams, 21—are based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma but were in San Diego for training, CBS 8 reports. Authorities say their actions caused more than 100 people to be stuck on the Skyfari ride for up to two hours. The men, who remain free on $25,000 bail each, have been ordered to stay away from the zoo. Our original story from Jan. 31 follows:

More than 100 passengers were stuck on the San Diego Zoo's aerial tram ride for as long as two hours Saturday—and the incident ended with four men arrested. Police say the suspects, ages 20 to 24, were "rocking back and forth" in their Skyfari gondola so hard that it came off the track, causing the ride to automatically shut down. Fire crews were called in to help rescue the passengers who got stuck, and no injuries were reported, but those who were on the normally-8-minute-long ride tell Fox 5 San Diego it was a scary experience, especially since they didn't know what exactly was happening. The four men were charged with felony vandalism, CBS 8 reports. (More San Diego Zoo stories.)

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