Tourist accused of breaking statue

A 25-year-old Finnish tourist faces possible jail time or a fine for breaking off part of the ear of an ancient statue on Easter Island to take home as a keepsake, police said.

An angry resident reported catching the Finn defacing the Moai statue Sunday.

“He could face prison . . . but it is more likely he will face a fine big enough to fix the damage,” a police official said.

Carved by Polynesian colonizers out of the island’s volcanic rock beginning as early as the 10th century, hundreds of sculptures of huge heads and torsos pepper the island.