YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. | A 27-year-old Colorado man who walked perilously close to Old Faithful geyser in September has been banned from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks for five years.
Gabriel Villalva of Greeley pleaded guilty Thursday to disorderly conduct and foot traffic on a thermal area in Yellowstone park. Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman sentenced him to five years on probation, during which time he cannot enter the parks.
Tourists captured footage of Villalva standing within a few feet of Old Faithful on Sept. 14.
Five days later, Villalva was arrested in Cheyenne after a police chase in which his vehicle caught on fire. Villalva waived his preliminary hearing this week and remains jailed on $10,000 cash bond. An arraignment date hasn’t been set.
