Man won’t face felony charges for Washington state park cave

YAKIMA, Wash. – A homeless man who lived for a year in a self-dug cave at a state park in eastern Washington state won’t face charges.

The Yakima Herald reports that officials won’t prosecute the 57-year-old man, who was arrested recently on possible malicious mischief charges.

He was taken into custody when the cave was discovered in the Yakima Sportsman State Park but an investigation suggested that it wouldn’t constitute a felony.

Washington State Patrol troopers who investigated said it took the man about a month to build the cave and that he had been living in it for about a year.

The man has a history of criminal convictions and could still face district or municipal penalties.