By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: April 14, 2008

Charlottesville police detained three people late Saturday after responding to Maplewood Cemetery, a sight of repeated vandalism recently.
All three were charged with trespassing, a misdemeanor, and one was also charged with vandalism, a felony.
A resident living near the cemetery reported around 11 p.m. that people were yelling and banging on headstones, according to a city news release.
Michael Francis Mills, 23, of Levy Avenue, was charged with destruction of property, the release said. Mills was the only one police said vandalized seven gravestones, according to the release and police Sgt. Faron Ocheltree.
A similar incident occurred at the same cemetery last month when multiple gravesites, some more than 100 years old, were vandalized. The investigation into that incident continues and no charges have been filed. Since then, police began an operation to watch the cemetery and credit residents in the neighborhood for the arrests, according to the release.
The other two charged with trespassing, Earl Junior McCraw, 24, and Dawn Christine Johnson, 30, both of whom do not have fixed addresses, were held until sober and then released, according to authorities. Mills is being held on a $3,000 bond.