Police are investigating vandalism that left several headstones at a Jewish cemetery in Grand Rapids spray-painted with “TRUMP” and “MAGA” before President Donald Trump held his final campaign rally in the western Michigan city.
Grand Rapids police officers on Monday found six headstones spray-painted with red paint at the Ahavas Israel Cemetery.
The vandalism appeared to be “relatively new," with “TRUMP” spray-painted on the back of four headstones, and “MAGA” — an acronym for the Trump campaign slogan Make America Great Again — spray-painted on two others, Sgt. John Wittkowski, a spokesman for the city’s police department, said in a statement.
The vandalized graves were discovered hours before Trump visited Grand Rapids late Monday night in his final campaign rally before Election Day. Police said no evidence was left at the scene.
Wittkowski said the Grand Rapids Police Department had made no arrests or identified any suspects in the vandalism as of Tuesday morning.
The Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus said in a statement Monday that it was outraged by “the desecration," and said the vandalism just before Election Day was intended “to send an intimidating message to the president’s opponents, and particularly, Jewish voters.”
“But it has failed. Grand Rapids’ Jewish community will not be cowed by this vile attack on Ahavas Israel," the caucus said in its statement.
The Anti-Defamation League of Michigan said it was working with local law enforcement to investigate the vandalized graves and that it was “appalled by the reported desecration."
The Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called Tuesday for federal authorities to investigate the vandalism as a hate crime and said it was offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
“The sacred sites of people of faith must be protected from vandalism that is meant to spread fear and intimidation,” the Michigan chapter’s executive director, Dawud Walid, said in a statement.
In this edition of Shannon's Summer Staycation, Cheddar's Own Shannon LaNier recreates the glamping experience in his own backyard.
Aileen Del Cid, head of marketing at Samsung TV Plus, sat down with Cheddar News reporter Michelle Castillo to discuss the platform's plans to stand out from the streaming competition with a new channel featuring Conan O'Brien.
Valeria Caceres-Gil, senior manager of admissions and matchmaking at the ASPCA Adoption Center, gives some tips on how to prepare your pet for a road trip.
Jordan Schlansky, associate producer of 'Conan,' sat down and spoke with Cheddar News about Conan O'Brien's launch on Samsung TV Plus, touched on his favorite interviews with Conan and also teased the upcoming Max series, 'Conan Must Go.'
Did you know that Actor Tom Hanks is an avid collector of antique typewriters? He's not alone! Take a look at how Hanks and one New Jersey man formed an unlikely bond over a nearly 100-year-old antique typewriter.
A new, furry, and four-legged member has just joined the Suffolk County Police Department on Long Island. Meet "Luna." Luna is a therapy dog in training with the department and was named in honor of Fallen FDNY Firefighter William "Billy" Moon who lost his life last year. "Luna" means "moon" in Latin. We caught up with that hero's family to chat about what Luna means to them.
This Memorial Day weekend, settle down with plenty of good ol' American reality TV drama, a new season of an old 'What to Stream' favorite, and a quick, deep look at how much we mess up other people's names.
From Queen Bey's tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll to the banning of a historic poem, here are your top entertainment headlines.
A service dog named Justin got a diploma along with his owner, Grace Mariana, during a graduation ceremony at Seton Hall University on Monday.
All week long, Cheddar's own Shannon Lanier is giving you ideas on how to have fun without going too far from home. In this segment, he's creating a water park in his backyard and speaking with Jackie Cucco, senior editor at The Toy Insider, about some of the best products out there to make this a reality.
