Police: Kids Admit to Cemetery Vandalism in

Police in Decatur say four teens and pre-teens have confessed to knocking over headstones in the Decatur Cemetery in Meigs County. One of the tombstones dates back to 1876. The incident happened on Friday night. According to police, the four suspects are between the ages of 12 and 14, and one is from Cleveland, Tennessee. Decatur Police Chief Monty Rowland says the four have been charged with vandalism and some curfew violations. 19 headstones were pushed over and some were broken. Meigs County Sheriff Jackie Melton has relatives buried in the cemetery. None of their tombstones were damaged but he says he feels for the families who were affected. "What they're going to see when they get here is, it's just a shame." Decatur residents told NewsChannel 9's Katherine Marchand that people often cut through the cemetery to get from one side of town to the other. This isn't the first time that the cemetery has been vandalized, but this is the first time so many gravestones were overturned at once. Chief Rowland expects that the suspects will be in Juvenile Court on Thursday and says they could face felony charges depending on the estimate of the damages. Community members like Dan Lockmiller say the vandalism doesn't just hurt the families involved but the entire Decatur community. "They need more than just a slap on the wrist. They need, they need to be punished pretty bad I think." Photo Submitted By NewsChannel 9 Viewer Jason Kirk