GALVESTON, Texas – A man is facing a felony charge after several headstones at a historic Galveston cemetery were destroyed and vandalized Saturday, officials said.
The headstones from the 1800s are irreplaceable, officials said.
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Corey Ledwoine Johnson, 40, was charged with felony criminal mischief by damaging or destroying a place of worship or school. He was also charged with a misdemeanor of drinking in public.
A woman said she was walking down Broadway when she noticed several pieces of headstones on the sidewalk and attempted to piece them back together.
It's disrespectful. Somebody's family members are buried there, and some people aren't going to have enough money to replace them," Reanna Bellotte said.
Galveston Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Xavier Hancock said 16 headstones, some more than 150 years old, were damaged. After receiving a few tips, officials were able to identify and locate Johnson as the vandal responsible for the damage.
Johnson is being held at the Galveston County Jail.