Clinton Families Upset After Finding Gravestone Decorations Stuffed Into Dumpster

Families in Clinton said they are upset after a cemetery groundskeeper removed numerous gravestone decorations - like flowers, crosses, rosaries, statues and other mementos - and tossed them into a dumpster.

Deenda Gonzalez's son, Kyle, and her granddaughter, Aaliyah, are buried at Clinton Cemetery. She said she found out on Sunday that the decorations at both gravestones were gone.

"This is my only son and this is his daughter that's been here so long and nothing's ever happened before," said Gonzalez. "The old groundskeepers would come and talk to me because I'd be sitting here for hours. I would tell people to drop me off and just let me be with him and they'll come back and get me. And I'd just stay with my baby. If I could go with him, I would of. But I couldn't."

Gonzalez said a groundskeeper removed a metal cross, a rosary, red and white flowers and other items from her son's gravesite. Gonzalez said the groundskeeper removed various mementos and flowers from her granddaughter's gravesite as well.

Gonzalez said she was told the groundskeeper had to mow the grass. But she questioned why the decorations had to be removed when they were packed so close to the gravestones while the light fixtures next to the decorations were left undisturbed.

Gonzalez said she later found some of the gravestone decorations stuffed in a dumpster. That dumpster was filled with numerous gravestone decorations of other families as well - including statues, stones with engraved messages, crosses, American flags, flowers, and various other mementos.

The city piled additional gravestone decorations from numerous gravesites on the back of a dump truck for the affected families to pick up. But the bed of the dump truck was so high that people could not reach it without climbing the vehicle from the side. That prevented older residents from searching the truck bed for their lost mementos.

"They're saying they only picked up the stuff that was laying in the grass, which you can tell is a lie because on the dump truck, all that stuff couldn't have been laying in the grass," said Gonzalez.

After rummaging through the dumpster and the back of the dump truck, Gonzalez and her family recovered some of the items that once adorned her son's and granddaughter's gravestones. But other items remain missing.

"Somebody raped my son here and that's what I really feel like," said Gonzalez. "And I protected him all my life."

News 9 tried to talk with the groundskeeper, but he refused to comment.

News 9 then went to Clinton City Hall and was able to talk with City Manager Robert Johnston right before the 5 p.m. story aired.

"Clinton has had an ordinance since 1991 that said within 21 days after the holiday, all decorations, grave decorations would be removed so as not to impede mowing and other cleanup activities," said Johnston. "We gave notice in the newspaper back right around Memorial Day."

Johnston said on Monday, the city began receiving complaints from the affected families. He said he has not personally seen the decorations that were removed and is not disputing the families' concerns.

"The ordinance does specifically say that the city has no responsibility for items that are removed," said Johnston.

Johnston said the city may reevaluate how things can be handled in the future. In the meantime, Gonzalez said she will take further action.

"I plan on filing a suit against the city of Clinton and I think they should reimburse not just me but everybody," said Gonzalez.