Massachusetts

Police Investigate Headstone Vandalism at Lawrence Cemetery

Police are investigating after several headstones at a cemetery in Lawrence, Massachusetts, were vandalized over the weekend.

Officers responded to St. Mary's Cemetery on Barker Road on Sunday after an anonymous caller reported the damage.

When police arrived, 10 headstones were destroyed. Authorities said it appeared that a vehicle ran into them due to the skid marks that were present on the ground.

Leydin Baker, who lost her 15-year-old daughter to diabetes in 2009, was one of the families notified of the damage.

"They fix it but my heart is still broken, you know. All my kids crying, my other three boys that I have. All the families... the stress," said Baker.

Baker says she's not sure how comfortable she is leaving her loved one buried at the cemetery now.

"I come here everyday. But now I can’t sleep well because I’m thinking something is happening in the middle of the night. It can happen again," Baker said.

Police said they are reviewing surveillance in the area in hopes of making an arrest.

"We sympathize with the families who are obviously distraught with having their loved ones’ final resting place desecrated in such a way. We are aggressively investigating this crime and will maintain a heightened police presence in the area over the next couple days," read a statement from Lawrence Police.

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