mobanmarketBRIDGEPORT, CT — Two women, one of whom police said is a juvenile, were arrested on felony criminal mischief charges over the weekend after they were accused of vandalizing the cemetery headstone of a beloved Bridgeport baseball and softball coach.
Bridgeport resident Jayla Veronica Franco, and the juvenile, were each arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree criminal mischief, and interference with a cemetery or burial ground.
According to Bridgeport police, on Feb. 26, the department received a complaint that the headstone of Angel M. Serrano Jr., 41, had been defaced in the Lakeview Cemetery on Boston Avenue.
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Serrano was a coach for Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders.
“Through investigative means, Bridgeport Police Detectives were able to positively identify the parties responsible for the aforementioned, and two arrests were made,” said Scott Appleby, the city’s Director of Emergency Management, in a statement.
Find out what's happening in Bridgeportwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
News 12 Connecticut reported that a video of the vandalism was posted on social media, where the suspects are believed to use a hammer and screwdriver to deface the headstone.
The thick, double-sided headstone honors Serrano, who reportedly died following a seizure in 2021, and his son, Anthony Padilla, who was shot and killed in 2010.
“This investigation is currently still active with additional arrests expected in the near future,” Appleby said.
Franco was released on a promise to appear in Bridgeport Superior Court on Friday; the juvenile’s case is in juvenile court.
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