Jackie Gorski
Times-Union
ETNA GREEN – Etna Green West Cemetery was vandalized recently and those responsible are being sought.
Etna Township Trustee Rita Anglin said she was called Monday by a woman who was passing by the cemetery and noticed a sign and four tombstones that were spray painted with profanity and graffiti.
Anglin said she called the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department. A reserve deputy took a report for the damage.
There are no suspects at this time and the damage was estimated to be around $3,000-$5,000, according to Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Doug Light.
Anglin said KCSD is planning on talking to the person who reported the damage to Anglin to see what that person might know.
Most of the graves at the cemetery are from the 1800s, Anglin said, and the township has been trying to clean up the cemetery.
Anglin said they are trying to see if they can find a way to clean the gravestones.
This isn’t the first instance of damage done to the cemetery, Anglin said. A couple of years ago, there were some kids that kicked over some of the stones in the cemetery as well.
“This has got to stop. These (stones) are irreplaceable,” Anglin said. She added it’s very disheartening.
Anyone with information is asked to call KCSD at 574-267-5667.
