$500 reward set in cemetery vandalism

The cemetery has lots of places to hide, Brookfield’s police chief noted.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

BROOKFIELD — Police and township officials are hoping a reward will lead to those responsible for vandalizing Brookfield Cemetery, knocking over grave markers and causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Police Chief Daniel Faustino said someone came into the cemetery late Monday or early Tuesday and damaged more than 100 grave markers. Most of the markers were pushed off their foundation, and a few were broken.

The vandals caused more than $11,000 in damage.

The cemetery, which is still open for burials, dates to the early 1700s. The oldest marker damaged dates to the middle 1700s.

Cemetery sexton Jamie Fredenburg said the cemetery is offering a $500 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the damage. The reward money is coming from the fund that supports the cemetery.

In addition to the reward, Faustino said police have stepped up patrols in the area of the cemetery. He said the cemetery does, however, offer a wealth of places for those on foot to hide if officers are patrolling the area.

“The problem is that if you have someone on foot, they could be in there, and you not see them,” he said. “We have had problems at the cemetery in the past, mostly theft, sporadic problems — but never anything of this magnitude.”

Awaiting word from insurer

Fredenburg said cemetery workers have reset about 25 of the toppled tombstones but are now waiting on approval from the cemetery’s insurance provider before any repairs are made to the rest.

Grave markers in the older section of the cemetery still remained on the ground at many grave sites Friday afternoon. Some were intact but others were smashed or had visible cracks in the stone.

Fredenburg said cemetery officials have been told that most of the old markers can be repaired but that signs of the damage or cracks in the stone would still be visible. Cemetery officials are awaiting estimates from tombstone companies on the cost of those repairs.

Fredenburg said he hopes that the cemetery’s insurance will cover the cost of initial repairs. Any additional repairs or replacement work, he said, may have to be provided by insurance carried by the family of the deceased, if they can be found.

The cemetery is open 24 hours a day with several gates open for entrance and exit. Fredenburg said the cemetery was once locked at night, but many expressed an interest in visiting the cemetery after hours. He said officials have not discussed locking the cemetery again at night.

jgoodwin@vindy.com