Jun 24, 2009 1:11 pm US/Eastern
Vandals Target Beaver Co. Cemeteries, Church
Anyone with information is urged to call police in Rochester Township at 724/774-3986
ROCHESTER TWP (KDKA) ―
Police in Rochester Township, Beaver County are looking for the vandals who toppled dozens of tombstones in two area cemeteries and vandalized a nearby church.
The suspects broke and upended about 30 monuments at St. Cecilia's Catholic Cemetery and toppled more monuments at the nearby Daugherty's Catholic Cemetery.
The damage shocked and disgusted some residents visiting the cemeteries this morning.
"To come into a cemetery and do something like that – I just think it's uncalled for," Shirley Olshesk of Rochester told KDKA.
"I can't get over it," Emma Deitz added. "Don't know what goes through their minds to do something like this. It's awful."
Deitz told KDKA she saw about a dozen cars driving through surveying the damage while she was in the cemetery this morning "probably just checking out the families and friends."
The vandals apparently then moved on to the Sylvania Hills Baptist Church, where Reverend Michael Bailey says they "busted out some windows in the sanctuary and busted out some windows in the bus."
Aside from breaking windows, the suspects spay-painted the number "666" spay painted along with pentagrams and racial slurs in the church.
Rev. Bailey estimates the damage at "probably about $1200."
Damage to St. Cecilia's Cemetery is estimated at about $100,000.
As police search for those responsible, Bailey says he plan to pray for them. "I hope they get caught. Restitution should be made. Forgiveness -- that's easy for me."
Anyone with information is urged to call police in Rochester Township at 724/774-3986.
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