Man arrested in connection with QAnon vandalism at ‘America’s Stonehenge’

The site was vandalised with a slogan popular with conspiracy theorists

FILE - This Sept. 15, 2015, file photo shows a rock formation called America's Stonehenge in Salem, N.H. Police arrested Mark Russo, of Swedesboro, N.J., and charged him with defacing the stone grouping in September 2019 by carving into rock a motto affiliated with the QAnon conspiracy theory. A lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday, March 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Jim Cole, File) (AP)

Police have made an arrest after a 15-month investigation into an act of vandalism at a New Hampshire landmark dubbed "America's Stonehenge".

Mark Russo, 51, of Swedesboro, New Jersey, was charged with one count of felony criminal mischief. He is accused of defacing the stone in Salem in September 2019.

A lawyer representing Mr Russo entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Tuesday, the Associated Press reported.

The rock tablet at the site appeared to have been damaged with a power tool, according to police.

"WWG1WGA" was carved into the rock, along with the phrase "IAMMARK."

The first carving stands for "where we go one, we go all", a phrase used by QAnon adherents. The second phrase was apparently a reference to Mr Russo's social media accounts.

An 18-inch tall wooden cross was found suspended between a pair of trees. Several photos and hand drawn images were attached to the cross, according to police.

Mr Russo was arrested after police found images of the tablet that linked him to the landmark. The photo apparently referenced Mr Russo "making a few improvements" and linking him to the phrase "iammark". The images found on the cross were also linked to Mr Russo.

Bail for Mr Russo was set at $3,000, and his hearing is scheduled on 21 April.

The landmark is a source of some controversy. Some believes say the site is more than 1,000 years old, while sceptics believe it's the work of a 19th century shoemaker.