More than one dozen headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Waukegan were found defaced with swastikas Monday morning, according to police.
At approximately 8 a.m., officers with the Waukegan Police Department responded to the Congregation Am Echod Jewish Cemetery, 3050 Grand Ave., where numerous headstones had been vandalized, authorities said in a news release.
Swastikas were found spray-painted on 16 large headstones in red, and an additional 23 headstones were also defaced with "non-specific" spray-painted graffiti, according to police.
In a statement, Waukegan Mayor Ann Taylor denounced the vandalism, saying she was "deeply disturbed and angered by the hateful imagery found spray-painted on headstones..."
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"...Hate does not have a home in Waukegan; when such incidents occur, our marginalized neighbors are victimized, and our entire community suffers. I hope our officers promptly locate the perpetrators of this despicable act and hold them accountable, and I offer my full support to those directly impacted by this vandalism.”
No arrests have been made as police continue to search for those responsible. Anyone with information is asked to call the Waukegan Police Department's tip line at 847-360-9001.
