Cemetery vandalism suspects waive preliminary hearing

<p align="justify">TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Two men accused of toppling rows of Jewish headstones in a Tulsa cemetery waived their right to a preliminary hearing Thursday and will appear before a judge Oct.

Thursday, September 28th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Two men accused of toppling rows of Jewish headstones in a Tulsa cemetery waived their right to a preliminary hearing Thursday and will appear before a judge Oct. 9.

Jonathan Brian Duke, 20, and Dillon Garrett Bell, 18, each remained held Thursday on charges tied to the late-night vandalism spree Aug. 25 at Rose Hill Memorial Park.

They will make their pleas next month before Tulsa County District Judge Linda Morrissey.

Each suspect has been charged with a felony of malicious injury to property and 90 misdemeanors. The misdemeanors include 89 counts of injuring a gravestone or monument and one count of malicious intimidation and harassment based on religion, ancestry and national origin.

Police investigated the desecrations as a hate crime case.

Federal authorities are considering possible hate crimes charges.

Crews on Tuesday began repairing the 93 damaged headstones. They are trying to complete the work by Saturday, which is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.