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Vandal damages graves in Charlotte cemetery; neighbors outraged

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Residents said they are outraged after a vandal broke graves, causing thousands of dollars in damage, in a small northwest Charlotte cemetery.

Police said the vandals caused $30,000 in damage to the cemetery off Rozzelles Ferry Road, where some of the tombstones date back to the mid-1800s. It is owned by a nearby African-American church.

"What did you get out of this?  What purpose did it really serve?” asked Chris Thompson, who walks by the cemetery often.

A police report said sometime Thursday, someone knocked over graves, splitting most of them in two.

“I think it is a sign of the times," Thompson said. “We don't teach our kids respect no more."

Thompson and other nearby residents are hoping the person responsible is brought to justice.

“These people already dead. You gone mess with them some more? It’s pretty messed up,” Thompson said.

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