WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — A community is upset and angry after police say two women vandalized the fallen officer memorial in West Memphis.
Lacey Friddle and Jessica Lapprad are in jail for the crime.
City officials say the West Memphis mayor was driving down the street when he spotted the two women and three kids carving-up the side of the memorial with rocks.
Chicken scratch, misspelled words and even one of the suspect’s names are carved into the memorial.
The memorial was erected to honor those who lost their lives serving Crittendon County.
“It just breaks your heart to think that someone is going to do something like this,” said Stella Ward, a local resident.
The criminal mischief is even harder to accept for those who came to the dedication memorial on June 5.
The chamber of commerce raised $350,000 to see the project through.
“I’m very disappointed that we have been working on this for four years and knowing that we got kids and adults in the community that will come up and deface anything,” said Holmes Hammett, the executive director for the chamber of commerce.
Friddle and Lapprad are charged with Felony Criminal Mischief and multiple counts of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
Hammett is trying to figure out how much fixing the damage will cost, “We are going to have someone come and take a look at it and see what we can do.”
For those who know the names memorialized on the plaques, they say the vandalism was no way to treat our fallen heroes.
“These were our law-enforcement officers,” said Ward. “They gave their life for us.”
The chamber of commerce is trying to figure out whether the panels can be cleaned or if they’ll have to be replaced.
The women are still in Crittenden County jail held on bonds over $50,000.