Hyde Park Woman Faces Charges In Area Vandalisms; Said She Was 'Anointing' Statues
BOSTON (CBS) - A Hyde Park woman is facing eight counts of vandalism Friday for damage to gravestones in Mount Hope Cemetery in March and may be linked to a spree of area vandalisms.
According to the prosecutor in West Roxbury District Court, where she faced a judge Friday, Deborah Gideon, 53, said she was anointing statues and monuments.
Police believe she might be responsible for the vandalism of statues and monuments in several neighborhoods in the city, including a March vandalism of Mount Hope Cemetery and damage to statues at St. Gregory's in Dorchester and St. Anne's in Hyde Park. She may also be linked to the oily damage to the World War II Memorial in South Boston.
Boston police said they observed Gideon throw a red powder into the air on Millstone Street on Thursday night. They followed her to Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan, where Gideon allegedly got out of her car and threw something at the gravestones before heading further into the cemetery.
Police stopped her in the cemetery and found a spray bottle, a gallon of red liquid and containers of colored salt, powdered juice mixes and olive oil in her car. Police say none of the gravestones were hit in the alleged attempted vandalism.
Gideon has been accused of spraying people and buildings before, such as the Moakley Courthouse in 2018. The materials she allegedly uses are difficult to remove from the monuments.
Father Jack Ahern of St. Gregory's said all is forgiven. "We have no hatred, no vengeance. We just want some sort of resolution and peace."
Gideon will be held for 20 days for a mental health evaluation. She has been ordered to stay away from cemeteries.
