Decatur 9/11 Memorial damaged; $500 reward offered

Sometime overnight between Friday and Saturday, multiple people caused significant damage to the memorial, digging up plants, breaking a stone sign and throwing things from the site into the lake.

Surveillance cameras caught images of the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call Decatur Park Police, 217-424-1311 or Decatur Park District, 217-422-5911.

A $500 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the individuals responsible.

The damage comes after authorities reported earlier this year that a portion of the memorial was missing — specifically, a section of crushed file cabinet that was retrieved from the wreckage of the twin New York City World Trade Center towers felled in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The memorial was dedicated in September 2017, thanks in part to community fundraising and volunteer efforts. It was also the target of vandalism in 2020, when three benches facing it were defaced.