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Vandals knocked over 27 headstones at the Kawaiaha‘o Church cemetery — and some of them remained draped in lei Friday as a gesture of respect and aloha, according to Brickwood Galuteria, chairman of the church’s board of trustees. Read more

Vandals knocked over 27 headstones at the Kawaiaha‘o Church cemetery — and some of them remained draped in lei Friday as a gesture of respect and aloha, according to Brickwood Galuteria, chairman of the church’s board of trustees.

The gates to the cemetery remained open and accessible to the public Friday, three days after vandals are believed to have knocked headstones from their pedestals in a crime that left family members distraught.

Galuteria said he learned two other headstones were also toppled about two weeks ago in the Hawaiian Mission Houses cemetery behind the church, but he does not know whether the two incidents are connected.

“At this particular point we’re outraged at this senseless crime,” said Galuteria, “but we are going to proceed with our information gathering, and then we will come up with an adequate plan of how to restore and repair. … And we ask for everybody’s patience and understanding.”

Michelle Yu, a Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman, said no arrests have been made.

The investigation is continuing,” Yu wrote in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “Desecration is punishable by up to one year of imprisonment and up to (a) $10,000 fine.”

Families of some of the people buried in the cemetery — along with members of the church board — placed lei on some of the overturned headstones Thursday, Galuteria said.

The board will examine the log of the security guard on duty the night of the vandalism, he said, and reassess security procedures.

Galuteria said there are no surveillance cameras in the part of the cemetery where much of the vandalism occurred, near the church school.

The cost to repair the damaged headstones, some of which weigh several hundred pounds, will be assessed by professionals, Galuteria said.

Some experts already have contacted the church to provide guidance on repairing the damage, he said.

“We intend to diligently, respectfully move forward to return the headstones to their proper placement,” Galuteria said. “We’re going to move cautiously because of the nature of the situation.”