The Lantana Police Department is asking for help in finding the person behind a spree of vandalism, including drawing graffiti on the city's memorial for fallen officers and a nationally historic chapel.
Both the memorial and The Chapel of the Holy Spirit were sprayed early in the morning on Aug. 15. Law enforcement is asking anybody whose security cameras on their properties near Cardinal Lane and Hypoluxo Road to send in any videos that lead to an arrest.
The church was covered with upside crosses and the number 666, which biblical scholars have called the "mark of the beast," a symbol associated with evil. The police memorial had names crossed out by the spray paint, and many markers covered with the word "pigs" which has long been considered
a derogatory term against officers.
On Facebook, Mayor of Lantana Karen Lythgoe shared her disappointment of the incident.
"Vandals defaced the fallen officers memorial on Greynolds Circle over the weekend. Disgusting and shameful don’t quite cover what I think of this," she wrote.
Assistant Police Chief Daniel Navas said the investigation remains open, but the town believes the vandalism locations are related. He also said this is the first time a crime of this level of defacing has happened.
"We've had the memorial up since 2006 … and we've never had any issues with anyone tampering or damaging it," Navas said.
"The (memorial) was conceptualized when we lost a reserve officer in 2001 — that's what brought the idea to light —and he was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle while he was directing traffic," Navas said. "It also commemorates all officers in our profession, in addition to the victims of 9/11."
Navas said that vandalism struck officers emotionally as a disheartening act, but now they're just looking for the community to team up.
"Now, in today's day and age, that's one of the fortunate things that we have, that most people have some sort of Ring camera or surveillance camera on their house and if anyone could just review their (footage) and see anything out of the norm, please forward it to us."
Lantana police can be reached at both 561-540-5700 or 561-540-5701.
Arianna Otero covers breaking news for the Palm Beach Post. Contact her via email at AOtero@pbpost.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 'Shameful': Police memorial, historic church vandalized in Lantana
