Guam – A break-in occurred at the Guam Veterans Cemetery on Sunday, the second incident within two months, according to cemetery officials.
Cemetery Supervisor Gabriel Barcinas, in an interview with PNC news, said the break-in was discovered Sunday afternoon by one of the employees.
The points of entry are two windows on the same side of the building that are only a few feet from each other.
Barcinas said, “The first window was, I think, two to three months ago. The second window was just this Sunday. It’s gotta be, from like I said, in between 10 and 1 in the afternoon. Because I came in Sunday morning at about 7:30 to open the gate, raise the flag, and everything was OK.”
He said the stolen items include four 5-gallon buckets of paint, a drill, and paper plates. According to Barcinas, the gallons of paint are non-skid floor paint that costs roughly $100 to $180.
Fred Bordallo, director of the Department of Veterans Affairs, said he hopes to initiate stricter policies and reinforcement measures that would not just prevent, but also deter potential thieves from targeting the cemetery.
Bordallo said he plans to invest in security cameras and other infrastructure upgrades.
He noted that prior break-ins and theft at the cemetery have yet to be resolved. “So far we haven’t heard of any closure to any of those cases that are way back, even before my time,” Bordallo said.
If you have any information about the case, contact the Guam Police Department at 472-8911 or submit a tip to Guam Crime Stoppers at guam.crimestoppers.web.
