Story highlights Police determine tombstone damage caused by the environment

It comes amid bomb threats and vandalism targeting Jewish institutions

(CNN) Authorities have determined that tombstones disturbed at a historic Jewish cemetery in New York this weekend were damaged by environmental causes and not by vandalism.

A New York City Police Department hate-crime task force had been investigating whether the damage to the granite and marble tombstones at Washington Cemetery in Brooklyn was intentional.

The task force concluded its investigation on Sunday, finding that the cause was environmental, which can include soil erosion and lack of maintenance.

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amid a series of bomb News of the disturbed tombstones cameamid a series of bomb threats and vandalism targeting Jewish institutions, including cemeteries, schools and community centers.

Last week, at least a dozen headstones were toppled at a Jewish cemetery at the Waad Hakolel Cemetery in Rochester, New York, following similar incidents in St. Louis and Philadelphia. In late February, at least 170 headstones were damaged at a Jewish cemetery in St. Louis.

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