A vandal driving a vehicle tore up a lawn near the Mt. Soledad National Veteran’s Memorial in La Jolla over the weekend, and investigators are now searching for a culprit.
The damage was discovered Saturday morning when a volunteer found tire marks that left deep ruts and destroyed sections of sod on the northwest lawn of the Mt. Soledad Open Space Preserve that surrounds the memorial, said Neil O’Connell, the memorial association’s executive director.
The vehicle also kicked up grass onto the walking path and trash cans leading up to the memorial, located on La Jolla Scenic South Drive, just west of Interstate 5, O’Connell said.
“The suspect did some donuts causing damage to the grass,” San Diego police Sgt. Ariel Savage said. “It is a felony vandalism … the detective has reached out for possible video evidence at the memorial.”
The memorial includes more than 6,600 engraved black granite plaques with more than 10,000 personalized tributes to veterans.
“This vandalism not only desecrates a beautiful public space but also dishonors the memory of the veterans honored at the Memorial,” O’Connell said. “This is a place of peace and reflection for our community, and we are determined to restore it.”
O’Connell said the memorial association is working with the San Diego San Diego Police and Parks and Recreation departments, as well as Crime Stoppers, to investigate the incident.
Investigators asked anyone with information about the incident to call the police department at 619‑531‑2000 or Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.
