APOPKA, Fla. — Police in Apopka said they have made an arrest after several gravestones were vandalized over the weekend.
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Several graves at the Edgewood-Greenwood Cemetery were damaged, and one headstone was stolen.
Apopka police said Thursday that they arrested 19-year-old DeShawn Russell in connection to the case.
Police said with the help of social media, they were able to catch Russell, who faced an Orange County judge Friday afternoon.
Police said not only did they recover the missing headstone, they also recovered guns.
Original report: Apopka police investigating vandalism, theft of headstones at local cemetery
As for the victims of the crime, they told Channel 9 they feel one step closer to justice.
Investigators said Russell destroyed the gravesites of two brothers who were laid to rest together.
The graves belong to Carneilous Dennision, who was shot and killed in 2018, and his brother Camari Dennision, who died in 2017 when his bike was hit by an SUV.
Monica Zow, Camari Dennison’s mother, said the incident has weighed heavily on her.
“I’ve been crying and yelling every day. It’s just draining,” she said. “They’re supposed to be resting here. This is their final destination, and they can’t even rest.”
Zow said Russell’s $7,500 bail is not high enough.
“They can easily come up with that, and then he (will) be right back on the street, and (there’s) no telling what else he will do,” she said.
According to Apopka police, although an arrest has been made in this case, it remains an active investigation with additional charges and arrests possible.
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“We’re not going to stop until we get every last one of them,” Zow said
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