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Vandals burn wreaths at Buffalo Naval Park

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Thousands visit the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park every day in the summertime. 

Jessica Pitingolo walks the park in the early morning almost every day. She says she's seen at least three acts of vandalism in the past month.

Pitingolo says it started with flags being ripped out of the ground and a sign being bent over. She was most concerned when she found two burned wreaths at the Vietnam Memorial.

“These are memorials. These are for people who have served multiple wars and countless situations; people who served and also lost their lives. To me, it's the same as a cemetery, if somebody went in a defaced something,” said Pitingolo.

Pitingolo contacted the Buffalo Police Department. A spokesperson for BPD says they are investigating and that there are patrols in that area.

The director of the Naval Park believes it's nothing more than kids acting out. 

“I didn't immediately take to it that it was a protest of any kind. I just thought it was somebody who that made a stupid decision,” said Captain Brian W. Roche, the executive director of the park.