Man arrested after alleged vandalism spree

A Boston man was arrested Sunday following an alleged string of vandalism across Beacon Hill and downtown overnight that included damaging the Holocaust Memorial and the graves of Paul Revere and nearly 20 other historic Bostonians, officials said.

Lawrence Hawkins, 46, was charged with multiple counts of destruction of property and destruction of a place of worship, according to a statement released by the Boston Police Department.

Hawkins will be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court, police said. It was unclear Sunday whether Hawkins had hired an attorney to represent him.

The first incident of vandalism allegedly took place about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, when police received a report of a breaking and entering at 125 Charles St. South, according to the statement. Upon arrival, police found the front door of the business shattered and a brick inside, police said. After checking surveillance video, police broadcast a description of the alleged vandal, who was later identified as Lawrence, but no arrests were made, according to the statement.

A short time later, a police officer found the windshield of his assigned cruiser smashed, and upon checking surveillance video, police broadcast a description of the alleged vandal, according to the statement. Later Sunday morning, police responded to a report of a broken window at 15 Sudbury St. and were given a description of the vandal that was similar to the descriptions from the previous incidents, police said.

Police used video surveillance to follow the man’s movements and saw him throw an unknown item at the Holocaust Memorial at 98 Union St., the statement said. Police went to the memorial and saw a brick on the ground and damage to the memorial, according to the statement.

Shortly after 3 a.m., officers responded to a report of vandalism at 15 Court Square, a halfmile from the Holocaust Memorial, where a window was broken in the rear of a business and another window was broken at nearby 201 Washington St., police said. After viewing surveillance video, police again identified the same man, according to the statement.

Police followed the man’s path on surveillance video and saw him enter the Southampton Street Shelter, the statement said. At around 4:30 a.m., officers entered the shelter and arrested Hawkins, according to the statement.

A few hours later, around 10:45 a.m. police received reports of vandalism to tombstones at Granary Burying Ground — including the grave of Paul Revere, the statement said. Fourteen tombstones were vandalized there, and six more were vandalized across the street at King’s Chapel Burying Ground, according to the statement. Some tombstones were pulled from the ground or broken into pieces, police said.

After viewing additional video surveillance, police allegedly confirmed that Lawrence had vandalized the graveyards, and he is expected to be charged with additional counts of destruction of property and defacing a burial site, according to the statement.

The National Parks Service was notified of the incidents.