Three Lethbridge men charged in connection to smashed century-old headstones

Darin Bourassa, St. Patrick's Cemetery foreman, inspects a damaged headstone

Lethbridge police have charged three people following an investigation into a vandalism spree which resulted in nearly $50,000 worth of damage at St. Patrick’s Cemetery.

On March 12, 2014, officers responded to the cemetery after a worker discovered a number of headstones in the oldest section of the graveyard had been damaged. The majority of the damaged headstones were made of white marble, with some of the grave markers having been erected early in the twentieth century. The total damage is estimated as $50,000.

Members of the Lethbridge Regional Police Service’s Priority Crime Unit launched an investigation into the incident and identified three suspects.

Police have arrested three Lethbridge men in connection to the cemetery vandalism:

Manitowabie, Saxon, and Mitchell face charges of mischief over $5,000. The three men have been released from police custody and are scheduled to appear in court in April.