Sometime overnight Monday, vandals broke into the gym on the campus of the Mellon Heritage Veterans Outreach and Wellness Campus. According to M. Richard Mellon, the break-in was discovered Tuesday morning. The door had been forced open and once inside, the individuals threw items and equipment around, however a complete description of the damage was not yet available.
Mellon emphasized, the damage to the physical buildings and equipment is only part of the cost. What these individuals don’t recognize is they’re attacking the veterans who need and use the facilities. It’s the veterans who pay the cost which cannot be measured in dollars. It’s difficult to understand and terribly frustrating when this sort of vandalism takes place.
Mellon also noted, when the previous break-in occurred, the three juveniles were apprehended immediately. They were taken into custody by the North East Police Department who performed their duties very well. The matter was turned over to juvenile authorities in Erie County government, yet, in the ensuing months, he has been unable to find out what, if anything, has been done. That’s unacceptable.
If anyone has information about this break-in, please call the PA State Police at (717) 783-5599 or the Mellon Veterans Center at (814) 347-5270.
This needs to stop. Our community is better than this.