Local Man Bails After Vandalizing Humpty Dumpty Statue at Cape May Mini Golf Course
A Pennsylvania man who smashed the iconic Humpty Dumpty statue at a Cape May mini golf course has surrendered to authorities. Blane C. Dongas, 29 of Dallas, Luzerne County, turned himself in on Monday to face charges stemming from the incident.
According to surveillance footage obtained by police, Dongas was seen scaling the fence surrounding Ocean Putt Golf and approaching the decades-old Humpty Dumpty sculpture around 4 a.m. on September 7. He then ripped the fiber-glass egg from its mount before walking off with it, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
The vandalism sparked widespread attention, not only locally but also nationally, as police struggled to identify the culprit. However, after releasing the surveillance video online, an anonymous tipster came forward identifying Dongas within hours.
Further investigation revealed that Dongas was indeed present at the golf course on the night of the incident, and a search warrant of his phone records confirmed this. The incident has left Ocean Putt Golf with estimated repair costs of $1,000 to fix the damaged statue and $2,000 to replace it, a fraction of what would be required if all the king's horses had been called upon.
Dongas was taken into custody by police on Monday but will not face immediate imprisonment. He has been released on a summons pending court proceedings, with no word yet on whether any accomplices may be charged in connection with the incident.
A Pennsylvania man who smashed the iconic Humpty Dumpty statue at a Cape May mini golf course has surrendered to authorities. Blane C. Dongas, 29 of Dallas, Luzerne County, turned himself in on Monday to face charges stemming from the incident.
According to surveillance footage obtained by police, Dongas was seen scaling the fence surrounding Ocean Putt Golf and approaching the decades-old Humpty Dumpty sculpture around 4 a.m. on September 7. He then ripped the fiber-glass egg from its mount before walking off with it, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
The vandalism sparked widespread attention, not only locally but also nationally, as police struggled to identify the culprit. However, after releasing the surveillance video online, an anonymous tipster came forward identifying Dongas within hours.
Further investigation revealed that Dongas was indeed present at the golf course on the night of the incident, and a search warrant of his phone records confirmed this. The incident has left Ocean Putt Golf with estimated repair costs of $1,000 to fix the damaged statue and $2,000 to replace it, a fraction of what would be required if all the king's horses had been called upon.
Dongas was taken into custody by police on Monday but will not face immediate imprisonment. He has been released on a summons pending court proceedings, with no word yet on whether any accomplices may be charged in connection with the incident.
? I mean, that statue was like 50 years old and it's not like he took it to a museum or something. It's just a mini golf course, come on! And $3,000 to fix/replace it? That's wild, dude. I guess the guy who did this thought he was some kinda art critic or somethin' 
. Newsflash: smashing stuff isn't cool, it's just vandalism. The worst part is that people are actually gonna care about the drama of who broke it and not more about the actual damage 
.
. And what about all those people who worked hard to make that place look nice in the first place? Do they even get any credit or compensation for their efforts? Just great, another win for the entitled 
.
. Meanwhile, Blane Dongas is getting off scot-free because of his "anonymous tipster" 
what is wrong with people!!!! Blane Dongas is like, totally clueless!!! 
especially since he's from PA and should know better 
At least justice will be served... eventually 
. The fact that the surveillance video was released online helped identify him super fast too, so kudos to them for using tech 
.
and then just walks away without even trying to cover his tracks 
I mean what's the point of even vandalizing a statue if you're not gonna face the consequences 
? 
and an anonymous tipster coming forward 
. But, like, 29 years old and he's already committing felonies? 
, what's wrong with this guy Blane C. Dongas?! He smashes that old Humpty Dumpty statue just for kicks and now he's going to have to deal with the consequences! $1,000+ to fix/replace it? That's crazy! I mean, I get it, he thought it was funny at the time, but vandalism is never cool. And what about all those hours wasted by police trying to find out who did it? 
Not worth it, if you ask me. At least the authorities got him eventually, though! 
And to think he got away with it for so long, leaving everyone wondering who did it... I mean, can you blame the authorities for wanting to know?! 
But on the bright side, at least they were able to catch him in the end! 
. I mean, I get it, he wanted attention or something but smashing an iconic piece of art just for it? Not cool, dude 
and a mini golf course, not some priceless historical landmark. $1,000 to fix and replace, that's crazy 
. I mean, smashing that iconic Humpty Dumpty statue at a mini golf course? what's next, destroying the Statue of Liberty? 
! Vandalizing that iconic Humpty Dumpty statue is just heartbreaking 
. It's always better to channel your energy into something positive, you know? Maybe Dongas could've found a healthier outlet for his frustration instead of smashing up someone else's property 
.