A devastating incident occurred at the First Baptist Dover Cemetery in Dover, Florida, where a car crashed through the property, damaging 32 grave sites and headstones. The suspect, Justin Brucker, was arrested and faces 21 counts of removing, disfiguring, destroying, and injuring a tomb or monument, each charge being a third-degree felony.
Community Reaction
Rodney English, a longtime staff member at the cemetery, expressed his heartbreak over the incident, stating that it’s heartbreaking to see the souls and monuments stirred up and defaced. Katrina Hill, who has several family members buried at the cemetery, including her grandmother who was buried just the day before, described the incident as tragic.
The damaged graves include some that date back 50 to 75 years, making it difficult for church staff to contact every family affected. The extent of the damage is especially painful for those connected to the cemetery, with estimated repair costs ranging from $30,000 to $35,000.
Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
