Another two people have been arrested after police say burnouts were done over fresh graves in a Cambridge cemetery.
Photo: Waipa District Council
Police said cars were driven into Hautapu cemetery on Monday and across freshly filled graves, where they tore up the grass.
Two 24-year-old men have now each been charged with intentional damage, interfering with a grave and sustained loss of traction. And one of the two men was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
Earlier this week police arrested a 19-year-old Waikato man who was charged with intentional damage at the cemetery, and doing a burnout on a road in a separate incident.
Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyck said the damage was done in the early evening, and those involved may have been emotional after recent deaths.
"Unfortunately there has been quite some damage... it's mostly to turf, but there's also some damage to some of the headstones too. Very very heartbreaking.
"For those families and friends who have just recently laid their loved ones to rest ... to have this occur of course just makes it even more of a difficult time, so our hearts go out to them."
Stolwyck said CCTV footage from the area was part of the investigation.
Cambridge Sergeant Ben Joll said the 19-year-old man's car was impounded earlier this week.
The damage to the cemetery was upsetting to the local community, Joll said, and he was grateful to people who had reported details about the event to police.
The 19-year old who was arrested was scheduled to appear in Hamilton District Court on Friday 5 August. One of the 24-year-olds was scheduled to appear on Thursday 11 August and the other on Thursday 16 August.
