The cross's caretaker group has said that a California war memorial cross was stolen after the Supreme Court ruled religious symbols may remain for now on public lands.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise has reported that the Mojave Cross, erected in San Bernardino County's High Desert in 1934 by a veterans group in tribute to fellow fallen soldiers in World War I, was torn down by vandals Sunday.

The newspaper further said that the cross has been the focus of decade long litigation between its proponents and those who believe it violates the separation of church and state.

In April the Supreme Court overruled a lower court's decision to remove the cross and remanded the case back to a California federal district court.

Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Institute, a group that represented caretakers of the cross and veterans groups in the Supreme Court case, said, "This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people's graves. It's a disgraceful attack on the selfless sacrifice of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed." (With Inputs from Agencies)