thedrifter
04-19-09, 07:09 AM
Police find stolen pieces of war memorial
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Apr 18, 2009 14:39:31 EDT
Police have recovered parts of an Iraqi Freedom Memorial honoring members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq that were stolen this month from a Mount Pleasant park.
Police also identified two juveniles as suspects in the vandalism and plan to turn over information on the case to the Isabella County prosecutor’s office, The Morning Sun reported. Details about the juveniles weren’t released, but police said they were questioned and in the custody of parents.
Investigators in the city about 120 miles northwest of Detroit said they got a tip Friday identifying the suspects and directing police to the Chippewa River, where the brass rifle and helmet were found.
After the theft, a pair of brass boots remained on a stone base at the memorial marked with a plaque. A $5,000 reward had been offered, but police said the tipster indicated he called because his grandfather is a veteran.
“A major factor in solving this case was the relationships officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department’s Youth Services Unit develop with our communities’ young people,” the department said in a statement.
The memorial at Island Park was donated in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth. The 20-year-old from Mount Pleasant was killed Nov. 13, 2004 by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol in Al Anbar province.
Ellsworth’s family in 2007 met with President George W. Bush, sharing memories of their son and his commitment to the nation’s mission in Iraq.
Ellie
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Apr 18, 2009 14:39:31 EDT
Police have recovered parts of an Iraqi Freedom Memorial honoring members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq that were stolen this month from a Mount Pleasant park.
Police also identified two juveniles as suspects in the vandalism and plan to turn over information on the case to the Isabella County prosecutor’s office, The Morning Sun reported. Details about the juveniles weren’t released, but police said they were questioned and in the custody of parents.
Investigators in the city about 120 miles northwest of Detroit said they got a tip Friday identifying the suspects and directing police to the Chippewa River, where the brass rifle and helmet were found.
After the theft, a pair of brass boots remained on a stone base at the memorial marked with a plaque. A $5,000 reward had been offered, but police said the tipster indicated he called because his grandfather is a veteran.
“A major factor in solving this case was the relationships officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department’s Youth Services Unit develop with our communities’ young people,” the department said in a statement.
The memorial at Island Park was donated in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin M. Ellsworth. The 20-year-old from Mount Pleasant was killed Nov. 13, 2004 by a roadside bomb during a foot patrol in Al Anbar province.
Ellsworth’s family in 2007 met with President George W. Bush, sharing memories of their son and his commitment to the nation’s mission in Iraq.
Ellie