Veterans' graves were vandalized on Memorial Day at Fort Morgan

Jenny Kane is proud to decorate her grandfather's grave for Memorial Day at Fort Morgan Cemetery. According to her, Dale Latoski was a soldier in World War II.

"It's important to me that he be remembered for what he did," Kane said.

She and her family laid flowers, flags and other decorations around his grave on Monday and were shocked to learn that his grave had been vandalized hours later.

"Everything was smashed. Pots were smashed to pieces, there were picked flowers lying everywhere," she says. "I just fell apart."

At least seven other graves were desecrated. Fort Morgan police arrested Michelle Morgan, 27, who was found in the area, on suspicion of criminal trespass and desecration of a revered site.

"She didn't just do that to us. She did that to a lot of other people, and I mean, I'll never understand why anybody would do that," Kane said.

Fort Morgan Police Chief Loren Sharp said the damage totaled about $5,000.

"Several pots that are often left at headstones were broken and moved to another part of the cemetery. At this point we don't know where they came from," Sharp said. "It's horrible to see something like this happen at any time, this is a place where people come for their final resting place, but especially on Memorial Day when so many families see this and have to deal with it. It's a terrible tragedy."

According to Sharp, anyone whose graves in the Fort Morgan Cemetery are missing any items should notify the cemetery administration.