DOVER, Fla. – Dozens of graves were damaged at the First Baptist Dover Cemetery after a car crashed and smashed through the property.
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Dover cemetery crash damage
What we know:
Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say Justin Brucker drove through the cemetery on Sunday morning. Booking records show the 46-year-old was arrested at 8:36 a.m. Brucker faces 21 counts of removing, disfiguring, destroying and injuring a tomb or monument. Each charge is listed as a third-degree felony.
Cemetery staff say as many as 32 grave sites and headstones were damaged.Â
Historic headstones knocked over
What they’re saying:
“It’s heart-breaking to see these souls and monuments stirred up,” Rodney English, a longtime staff member at First Baptist Dover Cemetery, said. “Defaced the way that they were.”
Tire marks cut through the grass, with pieces of a taillight scattered on the ground. English says upright headstones were knocked over and dragged around, with one weighing an estimated 300 pounds.
Katrina Hill has several family members buried at the historic cemetery. She says her grandmother had been buried there this weekend.
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“We just buried my grandmother on Saturday,” she said. “To come back out here so soon for something like this is tragic.”
Church families face aftermath
Why you should care:
A handful of the damaged graves date back 50 to 75 years, making it difficult for church staff to contact every family affected. Hill says the extent of the damage is especially painful for those connected to the cemetery.
“My heart goes out to the people that are going to have to deal with this aftermath,” she said.
Suspect posts bail bond
What’s next:
Church members estimate that total repairs could cost between $30,000 and $35,000. Brucker was released from jail on Monday night after posting a $52,500 bond.
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