(JTA) — Thirty headstones that toppled at a Jewish cemetery in the Philadelphia area fell due to age and environmental factors and was not vandalism, as first reported, police said.
The damaged headstones were discovered Friday at Mount Sharon Cemetery in Springfield, Pennsylvania, and reported by a woman who visited her father’s grave and noticed the overturned and cracked headstones.
The damage was initially reported as vandalism, which caused concern in light of the vandalism in February at the Mount Carmel Cemetery, where about 175 gravestones were toppled in a vandalism attack shortly after a Jewish cemetery in the St. Louis area was vandalized. No suspects have been identified in either attack.
Police said Saturday that the damage was caused by external factors, including recent bush and tree removal. The cemetery management said it would fix the toppled headstones, police told local media.
