MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – At Evergreen Memorial Park, where many families visit to care for and maintain their loved ones’ graves, concerns have been raised about the cemetery’s condition.
Ronnie Hurwitz claimed despite families’ efforts to upkeep the graves of their loved ones, there seems to be neglect in other areas.
“They still have many families that come to visit— take care of the family and maintain their graves — so it’s not like it’s neglected by the family,” he said.
Hurwitz, while speaking at the cemetery, expressed frustration, stating, “Nothing seems to, you know, no one wants to do anything about it.”
For years, Hurwitz has visited Evergreen to reunite fallen service members and law enforcement officers with their loved ones.
However, in recent weeks, Hurwitz claims he has observed an increase in broken burial vaults, exposed caskets, acts of vandalism and even disturbing items like paper bags containing headless chickens and goat heads, which he believes are used for rituals.
“Nothing is being done as far as the open graves go, and it’s just a crime,” said Hurwitz.
The extent of the damage to the vaults and the perpetrators remain unknown.
Evergreen, a historically Black cemetery, was purchased several years ago by the owners of South Florida’s historically Black newspaper, “The Miami Times,” out of foreclosure for preservation purposes.
While maintenance crews regularly tend to the grounds, the cemetery is not actively used for new burials.
Despite efforts to maintain the grounds, Hurwitz believes more needs to be done to address the disrespectful conditions at the cemetery.
“I’ll keep calling attention to this issue,” Hurwitz asserted. “Something needs to get done because it’s really disrespectful.”
Local 10 News has reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department to see if any acts of vandalism were reported in the area.