STONEHAM — Chief James O’Connor reports that the Stoneham Police Department responded to the Town’s war memorial, which was vandalized on Thursday.
On Thursday, Sept. 18, at about 11:30 a.m., Stoneham Police received reports from a Department of Public Works employee that an individual wearing a mask and sunglasses was behaving strangely near the memorial. The memorial, which honors veterans from World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, is located in front of the police station.
The DPW employee noticed that the memorial had been defaced with red spray paint, with several lines and words written on the memorial.
The individual then ran from the area. The DPW employee followed the individual and was able to provide the police with their direction of travel.
The suspect was located approximately 10 minutes later. It was also reported that the individual brandished a knife at the DPW employee.
Officers spoke with the suspect and determined that the individual was suffering from a mental health crisis.
Stoneham Fire and Armstrong EMS also responded to the scene. The individual was transported to an area hospital for evaluation and to be connected with appropriate services.
Stoneham DPW has removed the spray paint from the memorial.
The individual, a 24-YEAR-OLD MALE from STONEHAM, is being summonsed to Woburn District Court and charged with:
- Aggravated Defacing or Damaging Property
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, to wit, Knife
“War memorial is a sacred space that remind us of the sacrifices made for our freedoms,” said Chief O’Connor. “To see it defaced is painful for our community and our veterans. Thanks to the diligence of our officers and DPW workers, the situation was resolved quickly, and we will continue to protect these sites with the respect they deserve.”
These are allegations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
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