By Rick Sallinger

GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4) – A 20-year-old man told CBS4 he thought it was okay to spray paint on rocks on Lookout Mountain.

Stan Stettler of Thornton is now facing misdemeanor charges after video was aired of him taken by a hiker who heard the paint can being shaken and took out his phone.

Stettler was tracked down through the temporary license plate on the BMW shown in the man’s video.

Stettler told CBS4 investigator Rick Sallinger the following:

“I thought it was right to put your name on the rocks for remembrance.”

Stettler said he just happened to find a spray paint can near a rock.

Jenny Fulton, a spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, says Stettler readily admitted his role.

“The suspect was very cooperative he did admit to spraying three rocks at Lookout mountain,” Fulton said.

Stettler was asked by CBS4 “Do you regret doing this?”

“Yeah I would definitely go clean it up if I could,” he said.

Stettler’s friend who was seen in the video was not charged since there was no evidence he had committed a crime.

As for the man who took the video that led to Stettler’s arrest, Stettler said the following:

“If I was in his shoes and I saw someone doing that I would have done that too.”

Taking the video led to the charges in this case, but Fulton says it’s not something they recommend.

“We don’t encourage people to do that type of thing because it could be confrontational,” she said.

The hiker who took the video says he is just happy the man responsible was caught. He said he feels Stettler should clean up the damage he caused, but Stettler says while he wanted to do that the authorities wouldn’t let him because he might make it even worse.

Stettler faces a possible penalty of up to a year in jail and a possible a $1,000 fine.

CBS4’s Rick Sallinger is a Peabody award winning reporter who has been with the station more than two decades doing hard news and investigative reporting. Follow him on Twitter @ricksallinger.