Man Accused Of Vandalizing Area War Memorial Must Give Public Apology

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – A Utah man accused of vandalizing a Danville war memorial in June of 2015 will give a public apology later this month, Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office officials said. Jared Vance, a resident of Provo, Utah, is accused of the desecration of the beloved war memorial dedicated to those who have served in the armed forces.

Contra Costa County Deputy District Attorney Dan Cabral said the criminal case is ongoing and the apology was part of a restorative justice approach. According to Cabral, after meeting with the All Wars Memorial board members in 2015, it was determined that Vance, who is a former Danville resident but not overly familiar with the area, may not have recognized the impact of his actions.

The public apology was one of several items requested as part of the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program process used in this case. According to the Contra Costa County website, the program is designed to “facilitate agreements between juvenile offenders and victims of crime with the goal of making things as right as possible.”

“It was decided that if we brought him in front of the veterans and had a discussion it would have greater impact than simply pushing him through the criminal justice system,” Cabral told Patch.

Although multiple people were reportedly at the All Wars Memorial in Oak Hill Park early in the morning on June 8, 2015, police officials said Vance is the only person suspected of spraying black and red paint on the memorial.

"We have determined that it is very important to work with the authorities to ensure that the defendant in this case is able to turn this incident into a true learning experience and come away from it with an understanding that he has made appropriate amends for what he did, and has hopefully become a better person for having done so," Bill Picton, President of the All Wars Memorial Foundation said. "In our view, all of us are much better off if we can somehow help people understand that defacing a Memorial is simply something that should never happen."

The apology will take place during a public meeting scheduled for Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Building of San Ramon Valley located at 400 Hartz Ave. in Danville.

The Danville Police Department had offered a $12,000 reward, funded by donations from community organizations, for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect, according to police.

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-- Story by Autumn Johnson/Photos courtesy Danville Police