Vandalism reported at Jewish cemetery

Hebrew Cemetery in Orange remains locked after vandalism was discovered October 29, 2018. Hebrew Cemetery in Orange remains locked after vandalism was discovered October 29, 2018. Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Vandalism reported at Jewish cemetery 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

Orange police are investigating a report of vandalism at a privately owned Jewish cemetery where headstones were overturned and vases broken.

Officers were called to Hebrew Rest Cemetery in the 2100 block of 8th Street about 10:30 a.m. Monday to investigate. The groundskeeper had discovered the vandalism, a police report says, and then contacted the family who owns the property.

The family has decided to pursue charges should police apprehend a suspect.

The owner and person who oversees the cemetery declined to to speculate about whether the vandalism is related to the Saturday shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue that killed 11 and injured six.

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"It looked like there were several overturned head stones and appeared as if someone had thrown the vases and broke them," said the property owner, who asked not be identified.

The cemetery has been within the family for nearly 100 years and had never been the target of vandalism.

A neighbor who has lived in the area for about 15 years said she does not believe there was a hate crime or any link to the Pittsburgh massacre.

"It's probably just a bunch of kids," Rose Davis said. "They always walk through this street and probably go in there all the time."

It is not clear when the vandalism occurred because the groundskeeper had not not been on site for two months due to bad weather. But authorities and the cemetery owner speculate it happened sometime over the weekend.

The owner said Davis "called and told me her dog was barking and going crazy a couple of days ago, so I think it might have been then."

erica.apodaca@beaumontenterprise.com

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