May 17, 2017
Five tombstones were found toppled over in Adath Jeshurun Cemetery in the Frankford section of Philadelphia on Tuesday.
A groundskeeper was the first to notice the tombstones shortly before 1 p.m. at the Jewish cemetery along the 1800 block of Bridge Street, according to multiple media reports.
Police said that there were no signs of graffitied markings and that there were no arrests as of Tuesday evening, according to Philly.com.
"Obviously these stones were knocked over; it wasn't from decay or weather related," Philadelphia Police Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum told 6ABC.
This week's incident isn't the first of its kind for the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery, which saw more than 120 headstones toppled by vandals in August 2015.
This is the second incident of its kind to happen in the city in the span of two months. The suspects who vandalized more than 100 headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Wissinoming in March still have not been found. There is a $69,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest.
It's not clear if there is a connection between the two incidents.
Officials from the Adath Jeshurun Cemetery said that they were "disheartened" by the incident but noted that granite headstones were not broken and will be moved to their original positions, according to a statement circulated on Facebook.
"While we are disheartened that this act of violence has happened on the sacred ground where our loved ones have been buried, we are relieved that the police have been both responsive and proactive in gathering information about this destructive act," Rabbi Rachel Kobrin and President Bruce Armon said in the joint statement. "We are reassured knowing that Scotty feels a true commitment to our cemetery and those who are buried there – and we know that each stone will be repositioned in their proper place with accuracy and heart-felt dedication."
Police did not return an immediate request for comment on Wednesday morning.
