After a loved one’s graveyard was vandalized nearly 12 times in 7 years, family turns to I-TEAM

jacksonville, florida – A local family relies on News4JAX I-TEAM after a loved one’s graveyard was vandalized a dozen times over the past seven years.

Lauren Holthouse says trolls are responsible for graffiti, defacing crosses and other items, and pouring alcohol on her husband’s graveyard at Hardage-Gidden’s Greenlawn Cemetery on Beach Boulevard.

Sean Spanopoulos’ family say the 27-year-old died unexpectedly in a motorcycle accident in 2015. Since he was buried, family members say his cemetery has been vandalized around his death each September. His widow said she filed a report with the police, called for increased security at the cemetery and even offered to install cameras to catch vandals in action. Funeral Home refuses, saying she and her son just want it to stop.

“When I’m home, I always wonder if someone is messing with his grave here,” said 10-year-old Wes Spanopoulos, son of Sean Spanopoulos. I want to know if there are

Wes Spanopoulus is still not at peace with the death of his father in Argyll Forest more than seven years ago. It should have been there, but it became a target instead.

“Every time I come to see his graveyard, I get upset,” Wes Spanopoulos said. “Someone kicked it or hit it with something. It’s loose.”

The family said a crucifix, which was moved from the scene of Sean Spanoporus’ motorcycle accident, was also damaged by vandalism. It is said that there is She said she asked the Hardage Giddens Greenlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery if they could increase security, and she said she offered to pay for the surveillance video.

“They said we couldn’t set up cameras. They said we couldn’t have security guards around his date of birth and the date he died. Off-duty police at the Sheriff’s Office asked if I could pay for security, and they told me no,” Holthaus said.

Holthouse said her son wants his father dismembered and cremated instead because the funeral home can’t stop the vandalism.

“We could have had his ashes put in a necklace. We could have taken him somewhere else if he had been cremated,” Wes Spanopoulos said.

News4JAX’s I-TEAM reached out to the funeral home’s headquarters for comment, but was asked to leave the facility.

The funeral home later released the following statement:

“As part of our commitment to all of our client families, we respect their privacy and do not discuss specific issues with the media. We are committed to providing a safe environment and expressly prohibit any disruptive or disruptive behavior that may interfere with the services we perform or the families we serve. We are working closely with the family to remedy the situation.”

Holthaus says the vandalism is taking its toll on her son.

“He’s as traumatized as he was when he lost his father,” Holthaus said. , no graffiti, nothing damaged.”

Holthaus says her late husband had no known enemies, and she doesn’t know why someone would always target his grave.

As a result of this story, the funeral home offered to dissect his body and cremate him for $1,500 — a service that would cost more than $5,000. I want my deceased husband to be cremated for free because it says it’s a responsibility.