LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Lebanon Police Department arrested two men for vandalizing more than 150 headstone markers in two Lebanon cemeteries overnight between Friday and Saturday.
"I was completely aghast," said the Public Information Officer for Lebanon Police Department, Lt. PJ Hardy. "This is heinous."
LPD arrested Justin Emler, 31, and Jeremy Heaton, 23, and charged each with one count of vandalism over $60,000. They also confessed to vandalism at the Lebanon Country Club.
"The magnitude of the amount of sheer — I don't know — anger, evil," said Lt. PJ Hardy. "I don't even know what to call it."
The estimated tens of thousands of dollars in damage occurred in the Cedar Grove and Wilson County Memorial cemeteries.
Read the Lebanon Police Department's announcement shared Saturday night in the attached tweet below:
CEMETERY VANDALISM SUSPECTS ARREST!
— Lebanon Police Dept (@LebanonPD) July 17, 2022
From the desk of Chief Mike Justice:
In regards to the absolute heinous acts of vandalism that occurred to our local cemetery, our hearts go out to the loved ones that were touched by this senseless crime.(1/4) pic.twitter.com/XRD9OwXkCx
Sandy and Trendity Lane went Sunday morning to see if the grave sites of their loved ones were among the desecrated.
"It breaks my heart to see this," said Sandy. "Luckily, I was very fortunate that it did not happen to my family."
"They're priceless monuments," said Trendity. "I mean it's not something you can just... you can replace it, but it's never going to be the same."
See footage of some of the vandalism in the attached Facebook video below:
