A 50-year-old North Carolina man and a 50-year-old Pennsylvania woman are facing federal charges after prosecutors say he jumped a protective barrier and shoved the Liberty Bell hard enough to make it sway, while she flicked an oily substance onto the historic landmark. Sean Gerlach, of Fairview, North Carolina, and Dawn Hawa, also known as Dawn Benitez, of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, were each charged by information in connection with the incident at the Liberty Bell Center inside Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the two have each been charged with offenses targeting the Liberty Bell. Officials allege that Gerlach jumped over the barrier meant to keep visitors at a distance from the bell during public hours and pushed it forcefully enough that it swayed several times, according to Local21 News. Authorities accuse Hawa of flicking an oily substance over the barrier, which reportedly landed on the bell and surrounding areas.
Incident Date and Allegations
Local21 News reported that Gerlach and Hawa visited the Liberty Bell Center on May 16, 2025, while The Philadelphia Inquirer described the same allegations. The Inquirer reported that federal prosecutors said Gerlach jumped a waist-high barrier and pushed the bell back and forth in an attempt to make it ring.
Per the same Inquirer account, the National Park Service ultimately cleaned the oily substance off the bell, and prosecutors did not report any lasting damage. The FBI and the National Park Service led the investigation into the incident, and federal court documents provided information cited in reporting on the case, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia.
Charges and Potential Penalties
Gerlach has been charged with trespassing and tampering with property in a National Park, the station's report notes, while Hawa has been charged with vandalism of property in a National Park. The federal regulation governing such offenses, 36 CFR § 2.31, defines trespassing as entering or remaining on property not open to the public without the lawful controller's consent, and defines tampering as tampering with property or moving, manipulating, or setting its parts in motion without lawful control or possession of that property.
Per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Gerlach could face a maximum sentence of one year in prison if convicted, while Hawa could face up to six months in prison if convicted.
