Five stone grave markers and one wooden cross marker were overturned and damaged during the incursion at the Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery sometime between Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, police Lt. Dave Parker said.
Though discovered just two days before Halloween, there was no indication the crime was connected to the holiday, nor did it appear to be a hate crime, Parker said.
"It's near a walk-in gate and it looked random," Parker said. "It was actually in the Catholic area, but it was just an opportunity for somebody to walk in real close to the road and do their thing."
Three of the marble headstones, which broke when pushed over, will need to be replaced at an estimated cost of $9,700.
"The three tombstones that have to be replaced were from two families," Parker said. "And so that's a huge cost for the families."
A wooden, city-owned sign was also torn off and smashed apart during what was only the second such act of vandalism at the cemetery in 15 years, said Minta Montalbo, spokeswoman for the Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services.
"We don't usually get any problems like this. It's a secure site; we have security patrols. It's really shocking," she said. "I think it's just the most disrespectful thing that you can do."
Police are investigating the crime, a felony because of the amount of damage, and are increasing their patrols near the cemetery as well.
Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 561-STOP. Tips leading to an arrest can land a reward of up to $1,000.
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