Two teenagers charged in Riverside cemetery vandalism

RIVERSIDE (GTNS) ? Two 16-year-old boys have been charged as juveniles with second-degree criminal mischief related to the vandalism of Mount Olivet Cemetery in Riverside that occurred May 14.

The Washington County Sheriff?s Officer reported Jacob Creamer, 16, of Ainsworth, formerly of Riverside, and Colin Culver, 16, of Ottumwa, were charged Tuesday. Washington County Attorney Larry Brock said if they had been charged as adults, second-degree criminal mischief is a Class D felony that can bring as much as five years in prison.

?We got some information,? Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar said. ?We followed up on some calls that came in and did some interviews. We ended up getting confessions out of both of them.?

Brock said Culver and Creamer would be tried through the juvenile justice department. No court date has been set. He said the juvenile court?s jurisdiction would expire when the two turn 18. He said the county attorney?s office would probably not be involved in the hearing.

Dunbar said both had been staying in Riverside the night of the incident. He said Culver had recently moved to Ottumwa.

May 15, the Washington County Communications Center received a report that several headstones had been vandalized in the Mount Olivet Cemetery. Sheriff?s personnel discovered about 30 headstones were knocked over or damaged. Total damage was estimated at $5,611.

It isn?t determined if someone will collect the $1,000 reward offered for information leading to a conviction of the people responsible for the cemetery vandalism, but Dunbar believes someone will. He said someone had given a tip, but the sheriff?s office had prior information they were still following up on. He said the matter would have to be discussed with the parties giving the reward. The city of Riverside had offered $500 for information leading to a conviction, which was matched by an anonymous party.

Dunbar said it appeared as if someone pushing the headstones off the monuments caused the damage. He said many of the headstones were able to be repaired. He also said the parents of the subjects had been very cooperative with the investigation.