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The man who went viral for carving his name into Rome’s Colosseum wall says he didn’t realize how old the monument was …
Transcript
00:00The man who went viral for vandalizing Rome's Colosseum wall claims he didn't realize how
00:05old the monument was. The tourist, identified as 31-year-old Ivan Danilovi Dimitrov,
00:11wrote an apology in a local Roman newspaper addressing it to Rome's prosecuting office,
00:16the city's mayor, and the municipality of Rome. In the letter, he admits with deepest embarrassment
00:22that it was only after what regrettably happened that he learned of the monument's antiquity.
00:26Back in June, Dimitrov was caught on camera using his keys to etch his
00:31and his girlfriend's name onto one of the nearly 2,000-year-old bricks.
00:36Dimitrov went on to say he offered his heartfelt and sincere apologies to Italians
00:41and the entire world for the damage done to a monument which is, in fact, heritage of all
00:47humanity. Dimitrov could face two to five years in prison as well as a potential $16,000 fine for
00:53the vandalism. His lawyer is hoping for a plea bargain, which would include paying a fine,
00:58but no jail time.