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Wildwood, FL - A Florida teenager is facing multiple charges after allegedly driving through a cemetery and destroying several headstones.
The Wildwood Police Department reported that around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, an 18-year-old man recklessly drove a dark-colored SUV through Greenwood Cemetery, severely damaging multiple gravesites before fleeing the scene.
Officers discovered broken vehicle parts scattered among the wreckage, which led detectives to the suspect’s home approximately two miles away.
Surveillance footage also played a critical role in identifying the vehicle and the suspect, police said.
Family members of those buried at the cemetery expressed outrage and heartbreak over the destruction.
Jonie Taylor, whose grandmother's headstone was among those damaged, told WESH, "I was heartbroken. I was pissed more than anything."
Deborah Lochrie, another grieving family member, voiced her frustration: "I just hope whoever did this really regrets what they did, changes their ways, and comes out here and makes it right."
The suspect has been charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.
Additionally, he faces three counts of criminal mischief for unrelated property damage at a construction site that occurred in October and December.
Authorities continue to investigate the incident and encourage anyone with additional information to come forward.