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Steubenville Police Investigate Damage to Nativity and Nutcrackers

photo by: Warren Scott

Dominic Nelson secures the figures in a nativity that was disturbed late Monday night. Located near St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, it and several of the life-size figures in the Nutcracker Village were damaged.

Members of the Nelson family worked Tuesday to secure and restore a nativity near South Fourth Street and several of the life-sized nutcracker figures that have attracted many to the city after they were disturbed or damaged late Monday night.

Steubenville Police Capt. Joe Buchmelter confirmed a charge of vandalism is pending against Malone Lynn, a 35-year-old man with no fixed address, in connection with damages to one of the figures.

Buchmelter said the department will continue to view video footage captured by surveillance cameras along the street where many of the nutcrackers are displayed.

He said Tuesday it was unclear what motive or mental state the suspect may have been in and it wasn’t clear that Lynn was responsible for damages to the nativity established near St. Paul’s Episcopal Church or a nutcracker paying tribute to Moses Fleetwood Walker, a Jefferson County man who was the first African American to play Major League Baseball.

Mark Nelson, who has worked with his family and others to present the Nutcracker Village, said the Walker nutcracker had a broken arm and its baseball bat was missing but the bat was found nearby.

He expected the figure to return later on Tuesday.

Nelson said several other nutcrackers, at various spots along the street, also were damaged but could be repaired on-scene.

A figure of the baby Jesus was removed from the manger, while the figure of Joseph was tipped over, and the figure of Mary was among those that had been chipped or scratched.

Nelson’s son, Dominic, was using tools to secure the figures to their places within the manger on Tuesday morning.

The Nutcracker Village will remain in place through Jan. 10.

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