California tourists accused of carving initials into Rome's Colosseum

ROME (KFSN) -- Two California women were arrested in Rome this weekend for defacing the ancient Colosseum.

The two women -- ages 25 and 21 -- allegedly sneaked away from a tour group on Saturday to etch their initials into the amphitheater with a coin. They scratched the letters "J" and "N" about three inches high into the wall, before they turned to take a selfie with their handiwork.

Other tourists noticed the pair and alerted police. Authorities arrested the women for damaging the ancient site. They will now face a judge and possibly jail time. The women have reportedly apologized but don't understand why it's such a serious offense.