Fairfield Boys, 11 And 12, Get Court Date After Cemetery Damage

FAIRFIELD, CT — Two boys, ages 11 and 12, have been summoned to juvenile court after taking a truck without permission and crashing it into several headstones at a Fairfield cemetery, according to police.

The incident occurred the morning of April 12 and the boys were identified the same day, but several weeks later, restitution had not been arranged for the repositioning of the overturned gravestones at Agudas Achim Cemetery, the department said Monday in a Facebook post.

The boys took a 1989 GMC truck kept on the property and drove it around the cemetery, damaging the lawn extensively and knocking headstones to the ground before fleeing when the truck became disabled, police said at the time.

"The juveniles were able to easily gain access to a vehicle on the property and lost control of it while attempting to maneuver through the close quarters of the cemetery," the department said on Facebook. "Although their behavior was in fact reckless, it does not appear they intentionally caused damage."

Neighbors of the cemetery, located in the 100 block of Reid Street, told police the site is a hangout for kids, according to law enforcement.

The boys, both of Fairfield, are accused of reckless driving, criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit criminal mischief, according to the Facebook post, which noted interviews and cell phone video from the pair confirmed the vandalism was not related to religious beliefs.

The boys are set to appear in juvenile court July 1.