{KXLG – Watertown, SD} A 29-year-old Minnesota man was arrested Tuesday morning in Watertown in connection with multiple acts of vandalism, including damage to a local business and the apparent theft of statues from a cemetery.
At approximately 8:00 AM on April 22nd, the Watertown Police Department responded to a report of broken windows at a local business. Investigators determined that rocks and pieces broken off from statues were used to cause over $2,000 in damage.
While investigating, an officer was alerted to a suspicious male in the vicinity of Mt. Hope Cemetery. The officer made contact with Michael Ortiz, 29, of Minnesota. Ortiz was found to be in possession of parts of broken statues matching those used to damage the business windows. He also had multiple other statues that appeared to be decorations taken from headstones in the cemetery.
Ortiz was arrested and charged with Intentional Damage to Property $1000-$2500.
Following the arrest, another nearby business reported damage to a double-pane window, estimated at $1,100.
Ortiz is currently being held at the Codington County Detention Center.
The Watertown Police Department is asking the public for help identifying the owners of the recovered cemetery statues. They are also asking anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in or around Mt. Hope Cemetery over the past week to contact the Patrol Supervisor at 605-882-6210.
