Wadena Cemetery headstones, monuments vandalized over the weekend

NestorNowakowskidrove by the Wadena Cemetery where he works on Saturday morning to find it was vandalized.

Nowakowski, who has worked as thecemetery caretaker for the last eight years,told CBC News he could see scattered flowers on the road.

As he looked further, he saw 25 monuments on the cemetery's west side were tipped over and three were damaged.

"Some are very old," Nowakowski said. "There's one with an old white cross from 1907. It was a little baby's cross."

The culprits also vandalized ornaments, lights, and flowers that people placed on their loved ones' graves.

"I just got sick," he said. "I just thought, 'My God, what else?' No respect for nothing."

Nowakowski said he called the RCMP, who took fingerprints of the scene.

The damage to the Wadena Cemetery is estimated to be about$4000, not including damage to the headstones.

Nowakowskispeculates the damaged was caused during late night partying. He said it makes him sick that people would disrespect a cemetery.

"It's some place you don't touch. Youleave it be. For guys to come in and do that, it's so low-life. People respect their dead,"hesaid.

Wadena RCMP said the investigation is ongoing, but don't have any details at present.