Hate Crime Charges For Man Who Painted Swastikas On Graves: Cops

GLEN CARBON, IL — Police have released the name of the man accused of spray-painting swastikas on tombstones at an Illinois cemetery over Memorial Day weekend. Glen Carbon police, working with Edwardsville police, named 34-year-old Timothy V. McLean as the man who vandalized hundreds of graves at Sunset Hills Memorial Estates in Glen Carbon. State police also assisted with the investigation.

More than 200 swastikas were reportedly found spray-painted on graves on Saturday morning.

McLean, of the 200 block of Matterhorn Road, is charged with three counts of hate crime, three counts of institutional vandalism, one count of violation of the Cemetery Protection Act, and an additional count of criminal damage to property over $500 — all felonies. In regard to the Edwardsville incidents, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged McLean with one count of Hate Crime (a class 2 felony) and thirteen additional counts of Criminal Damage to Property Over $500.00 (all class 4 felonies).

Swastikas Painted On Over 200 Tombstones At Illinois Cemetery

McLean is also charged with vandalism on homes and vehicles in an Edwardsville neighborhood near the cemetery. For those incidents he faces an additional hate crime charge and 13 more counts of criminal damage to property over $500.

Madison County Judge Neil Schroeder set Mclean’s bond at $100,000 in regard to all Glen Carbon incidents, and a separate bond at $100,000 in regard to all Edwardsville incidents, police said. He remains in custody at the Madison County jail.

"We would like to thank the citizens who worked with law enforcement authorities to bring this case to a swift resolution," Glen Carbon police said in a statement.

Video posted on social media showed cemetery workers power washing the tombstones on Saturday. Police also posted a video of the suspect.