- Mar 31, 2003
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Glad these bastards were caught, but it seems like there is alot of this going on since the price of scrap metal is high. When I heard this on the news, it seems like a couple thousand of these vases were stolen just in the Dallas area...
2 held in thefts at cemetery
Dallas: Dozens of bronze vases had been taken from graves
05:55 AM CDT on Thursday, March 15, 2007
By HOLLY YAN / The Dallas Morning News
hyan@dallasnews.com
After thieves snatched dozens of bronze vases from Grove Hill Memorial Park cemetery two weeks ago, manager Steve Bates was determined to catch them the next time.
Dallas police arrested two people Wednesday in the thefts at Grove Hill Memorial Park. Cemetery officials stepped up patrols after dozens of bronze vases were taken. "I told our maintenance staff to go ahead and patrol the cemetery three to four times a day," Mr. Bates said Wednesday. "Sure enough, today that vehicle was spotted."
Dallas police arrested John Russell, 51, and Charlene Murphy, 47, on suspicion of felony theft Wednesday.
Cemetery superintendent Vidal Burgos was patrolling the grounds about 3 p.m. when he saw a vehicle that looked like the one spotted a few weeks ago.
"He stayed back a little bit and watched this couple," Mr. Bates said. "He saw the lady take flowers to the grave and pretend she was taking flowers to the vase. Then she'd pick up the vase and take it to the man, who was in the car."
Mr. Burgos told the manager he thought he found the thieves, and they called 911 and blocked off the entrances until police arrived.
Mr. Bates said 36 bronze vases were found in the vehicle.
Dallas police Sgt. Mike Morgan said most of the vases are chained down.
"There was a bolt cutter in the vehicle, and chains were left," he said.
The vases, which cost about $300 each and have a significant amount of copper in them, have a high resale value.
In the last few years, copper thieves have been desperate enough to desecrate grave sites, strip wiring from light poles and steal air conditioners from churches. In July, authorities said a man was electrocuted while trying to steal copper from a telephone pole in West Dallas.
Sgt. Morgan said cemetery thefts are particularly disturbing.
"Taking things that you think are reserved for those who passed on and have such sentimental value ? it seems to hit you harder," he said.
Melody Rekieta, a family service counselor at Grove Hill, said she and other employees have done their best to work with families who have lost bronze vases.
"I'm very relieved," she said of the arrests. "And I'm sure our families feel better."
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