Vandal Damages Mariposa Cemetery Headstones
Mariposa, CA – A cemetery in Mariposa County was vandalized, and these pictures show just how extensive the damage was, which included many broken headstones.
The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to possible vandalism at the Mariposa Cemetery in Mariposa, where some of the headstones date back to the 1840s, last week. Many of them are made out of Italian marble and stone. A check of the grounds found a total of 47 grave sites damaged. The vandal also knocked over multiple gravesite decorations, like angels and vases.
While detectives are still evaluating the cost to repair or replace the damaged headstones, the alleged vandal has been caught. Witnesses identified 27-year-old Marlon Ortez, a transient, for damaging the headstones, which he admitted to committing, according to sheriff’s officials. Ortez was arrested and charged with felony vandalism and remains behind bars at the time of this posting.
Sheriff’s officials shared, “Several local civic groups are working with the sheriff’s office and Mariposa County staff on the repair plan.”
