Police charge man with Centre Co. cemetery vandalism

By: Marc Stempka FERGUSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Police in Centre County have filed charges against a man who they say toppled over 15 headstones during a vandalism spree at an area cemetery. Ferguson Township police arrested 24-year-old Timothy Penrod, of Southgate Drive, State College, for allegedly knocking over 15 headstones at Pine Hall Cemetery Monday night. He is also accused of burning a flag at a veteran's grave site in the cemetery. Police were able to track down Penrod after he left a cellphone and credit card receipt at the cemetery, according to the criminal complaint. Police said they also found food wrappers from McDonald's at the cemetery and were able to obtain surveillance video from an area McDonald's showing him there that evening. Police also found a footprint in a window of a maintenance building at the cemetery which they were able to track back to the shoes he was allegedly wearing. Penrod faces 45 charges, including 15 counts each of institutional vandalism, intentional desecration of a public monument, and criminal mischief, two burglary-related counts and one count of maliciously taking down a flag. Centre County Assistant District Attorney Nathan Boob did not offer any comment when asked if Penrod was connected to the vandalism at Boalsburg Cemetery earlier in May. Fifty-one headstones were knocked over or damaged by vandals in that case. Penrod was being held in the Centre County Correctional Facility on $50,000 bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 4.