Colorado National monument vandalized in 'promposal' ask

Lilly Price | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Promposals should not include vandalism A promposal can be a fun thing, but should not include vandalism. Keri Lumm shares some of the vandalism from the Colorado National Monument.

A teen used black spray paint to write the word "prom...ise?" and other declarations of love on the Colorado National Monument, park staff announced Saturday. The Colorado park service considers the message graffiti, a crime punishable by up to six months in prison and a $500 fine.

High school students have become increasingly creative in the ways they ask a date to prom, also known as a "promposal." Although these prom proposals are often positive and sometimes garner the attention of celebrities, several teens have landed in hot water by using a political, racial or controversial message in their proposal.

In 2016, a teen spray painted an 8-foot-tall prom invitation onto the Black Cliffs outside Boise, Idaho, provoking outcry from the community and a potential federal charge.

The Colorado National Park service is asking the public's help to locate the person responsible for vandalizing the monument.

Monument representative Ranger Frank Hayde told CNN the park service may be more lenient when doling out the punishment if the teen turns himself or herself in.