GONZALES — Several gravestones at the Gonzales Cemetery were damaged over Presidents’ Day weekend by a negligent employee.
According to Gonzales Police Chief Keith Wise, the cemetery employee was being careless while using a tractor and ran over several grave markers with the vehicle’s big tires, damaging the gravestones. The tractor in question has been removed from the site.
“Clear case of negligence in job performance, but was not a deliberate act of vandalism within the meaning of the law,” Wise said.
No charges have been made and the issue is being dealt with between the affected parties, the Gonzales Cemetery District and the employee, who has since been fired.
Gonzales Cemetery District has been experiencing a few problems at the facility besides the equipment and employee incident. On the opposite side of the cemetery from where the damages occurred, there are several grave plots that are caving in and will need more soil and stabilizing resources to keep the grave sites in good condition.
New employees have also been hired that came from the Soledad Cemetery District.
