Arrest made in Marine grave site defacement

[unhappycamper]

Arrest made in Marine grave site defacement
By Michael Hoffman - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Oct 25, 2007 21:49:43 EDT

Two days after Brent and Karla Burris buried their son Jeremy — a lance corporal who died after stepping on a roadside bomb in Iraq earlier this month — the family received a disturbing call.

A vandal had stolen and shredded floral displays, flags and posters drawn by local schoolchildren that surrounded their son’s grave site.

Lance Cpl. Burris, 22, was patrolling the Syrian border in Anbar province, Iraq, on Oct. 8 with 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, when his vehicle hit a bomb buried in the road. At first, Burris was not severely injured and helped carry out the two other injured Marines. But when he walked back to the vehicle to retrieve equipment, he stepped on another improvised explosive device.

Police arrested Wallace Ray DeBlanc on Oct. 23 after he allegedly defaced the grave site to steal 30 metal tripods that held up floral displays, so he could sell them back to local florists for $2 each, said Liberty Police Chief Mike Cummings.

“It was in no way directed at Lance Cpl. Burris or the Marine Corps, or the war,” Cummings said. “There was no political agenda to it.”

DeBlanc told police he needed money to support a crack and cocaine habit, Cummings said.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/10/marine_destroyed_gravesite_071023w/

[kdmorris]

1. I wonder if any of the media will take back their

"must have been anti-war protesters" crap now.