Man set plastic wreaths on fire at a cemetery on Christmas Eve, Maryland officials say
A man set several plastic wreaths on fire at a cemetery on Christmas Eve, Maryland officials said.
He said he was “trying to save the earth and that plastic wreaths were non-biodegradable” during his arrest, according to the state fire marshal’s office.
Peter J. Custer, of Pennsylvania, collected the wreaths from multiple graves before intentionally lighting them on fire at Cedar Lawn Memorial Park in Hagerstown, a Dec. 24 news release shared to Facebook said.
People driving by the cemetery saw Custer standing by a fire after 1 a.m. and called 911, according to officials, who described Custer’s actions ahead of Christmas day as “morally wrong.”
“Disturbing final resting places is contemptible, criminal and will not be tolerated,” Brian S. Geraci, state fire marshal, said in a statement.
Investigators couldn’t determine which of the three or more burial plots had their wreaths stolen and destroyed by Custer, according to the news release.
Custer, who is from Harrisburg, is charged with second-degree malicious burning, malicious destruction of property under $1,000 and trespassing on private property, officials said.
He was transported to Washington County Detention Center and “released on his own recognizance” after appearing in court, according to the news release. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the incident.
McClatchy News has reached out to the state fire marshal’s office for further comment.
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 10:42 AM with the headline "Man set plastic wreaths on fire at a cemetery on Christmas Eve, Maryland officials say."
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