7 teens charged after 61 headstones damaged in Mitchell, Ont.

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged seven teenagers after 61 headstones were damaged at the St. Vincent de Paul cemetery in Mitchell, Ont.

The suspects, whose ages range between 13 and 17, are facing charges of mischief over $5,000. 

Perth County OPP began investigating the vandalism on Jan. 4, just before 9:45 a.m., after receiving a call from a concerned citizen. Police initially believed the crime happened that night. 

Many of the families who had stones damaged toured the site and were shocked by the damage. One person said it was like grieving a loss all over again. 

Police are thanking social media users for contributing to the search, and making the arrests possible. 

"We did at one point speak to a witness who saw some youths in the area that night, so we were able to follow up with that," said Const. Kimberly Lyon, a community safety and media officer with Perth County OPP.

Video obtained by police through social media was also helpful in showing investigators where the some of the teens may have gone following the crime, which Lyon says helped identify some of them.

"I hope that with these arrests, those directly affected by the damaged memorials, and the entire community, can begin to recover from the distress that this has cause," said Acting Inspector Davi Sinko in a statement. 

The identities of the teens are protected under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The suspects are:

All are scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice in Stratford at an undisclosed date.