Vandals strike Warren cemetery
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WARREN -- A cemetery in Warren became the scene of a crime after vandals toppled a memorial bench and 12 or 13 headstones, along with flags and markers dedicated to veterans, just days before Memorial Day.
The destruction was discovered around 11 a.m. Wednesday by a visitor.
One of the people impacted is Alfred Long, 73, of Warren, who visits Oakwood Cemetery daily to honor his late wife, Penny Sue Long, and other family members. The bench, dedicated to his wife, held special significance.
"Me and her talked about it before," Long said, recalling their shared wish to place a bench in her memory. "I paid $2,500 for that bench. She always wanted one."
The bench, though flipped over, was not broken, offering Long a small consolation.
"At least they didn't break it," Long said. He expressed anger at the vandals, saying, "Those people, whoever did it, need to go to hell."
Chuck Ciapala, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1090 and outreach coordinator for the Trumbull County Veterans Service Commission, condemned the vandalism.
"This harms the community and their families, right before Memorial Day," Ciapala said. "The fact that this happened shows the lack of respect."
He noted that VFW Post 1090, which traditionally places flags on veterans' graves at Oakwood Cemetery, plans to replace 50 to 60 damaged flags Saturday. He also said the Service Commission and VFW would help the cemetery in any way possible with damages.
Oakwood Cemetery Superintendent Michelle Scott said the vandalism was reported by a visitor.
"We've had petty vandalism, but nothing this severe," she said.
The damaged headstones, some marking veterans' graves adorned with flags for Memorial Day, will cost an estimated $305 each to repair, totaling around $4,500, according to a quote from a local marble and granite company.
Security footage offered little clarity. Scott said a garage camera captured 10 seconds of headlights at 3:40 a.m., and a chapel camera in the cemetery's center recorded three people -- possibly teenagers or young adults -- walking around at 2 a.m. No clear identifiers were visible. Scott plans to contact nearby businesses, including a local factory, to check for additional camera footage.
Warren police have been notified, but no suspects have been identified.
"Not only disrespecting veterans, but disrespecting people's families," Scott said.
For Long, the act was personal.
"It's ridiculous," he said.
Cemetery officials said they're working to notify affected families and restore the damaged memorials.
"Karma comes back on people," Scott said.