A Lexington teenager faces felony charges for allegedly causing damage to a cemetery and resisting arrest on June 9.
A probable-cause statement says a Lexington Police officer noticed a subject moving and carrying an object in his hands at Machpelah Cemetery just before 1 a.m. Due to several reports of vandalism at the cemetery in recent weeks, the officer attempted to stop the individual. However, the person got into a vehicle and sped away. The pursuit reached in excess of 90 miles per hour, and the suspect reportedly tried to ram the officer’s vehicle more than once. The suspect’s vehicle reportedly crashed and then caught fire. The suspect ran from the scene, and eventually was taken into custody with the help of other law-enforcement officers. Inside the suspect’s vehicle, authorities reportedly recovered a sledgehammer, which matched the description of the object the suspect was carrying. The next day, the officer returned to the cemetery and noted 10 tombstones looked like had been hit with a blunt object such as a sledgehammer.
According to online court documents, 18-year-old Eron Norris has been charged with a Class D Felony for Institutional Vandalism and a Class E Felony for Resisting Arrest, Detention or Stop by Fleeing. Bond has been fixed at $10,000 cash or surety.
An initial hearing for Norris is pending at Lafayette County Circuit Court.