Mysterious monolith in California torn down by Christian group, replaced with a cross

A mysterious metal monolith, which recently emerged on top of a mountain in California near the town of Atascadero, has been torn down by a group of young men claiming to be Christians.

They posted a video of themselves tearing down the monolith and replacing it with a cross, reports The Guardian quoting the San Luis Obispo Tribune newspaper.

The California monolith was the third to have appeared this year after a similar structure was discovered in the deserts of Utah and then another appeared in Romania.

The silvery metal-faced monoliths have sparked huge interest and attracted hundreds of curious sightseers.

In a live streamed video, which was posted online and then deleted, the group of men from southern California tore down the structure, The Guardian reports.

The men, dressed in camo gear and armed with night-vision goggles and energy drinks, chose to make their move at night while chanting "Christ is king!" and "America first!"

One of them also chanted: "We don't want illegal aliens from Mexico, or outer space."

After demolishing the metal monolith, the men replaced it with a cross, seemingly handmade, on the ground.

One of them announced: "This is what I think about pagan cringe."

The Utah monolith, which stood quietly in the Utah desert for years until it was officially discovered,  had garnered headlines worldwide before it was destroyed by visitors who were seen taking it down and carrying it away in a video, reports Forbes.

The second one, which appeared in Romania, seemed to be more crudely constructed, and was removed almost immediately after it was found.

Now the California monolith has also been torn down.

The appearance of the monoliths is yet to be fully explained.

The Utah monolith was largely suspected to abandoned art project, while the two new structures seem to have been inspired by the discovery of the first one, according to the Forbes report.