Two suspects are facing charges for allegedly stealing vases from cemeteries in two Illinois counties and selling them to scrapyards.
In August, Lake County deputies received a report that several vases worth between $500 and $800 had been stolen from a cemetery in Libertyville, Fox 32 reported. reported Thursday.
“Upon further investigation, authorities discovered that hundreds of similar vases had been stolen from cemeteries in Lake and McHenry counties,” the newspaper reported.
Authorities identified the suspects in the incident as Marcos Mendez, 41, and Fermin Tonche Gallardo, 30, both of Waukegan. The men allegedly stole the vase and sold it at a scrapyard.
“There is nothing more despicable than stealing from people who are sleeping in peace. Instead of paying their respects to their loved ones, people fell victim to theft in a sacred place,” said Lake County Sheriff John Idleberg. said. said Lake & McHenry County Scanner:
On Wednesday, officers arrested Tonche Gallardo on charges of theft and five counts of damaging tombstones. In his case, it is expected that he will be charged additional fees in the near future. Authorities have not yet located Mendez, but a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
ABC7 reported Michelle Tusek, a woman whose parents' graves were vandalized, said of the September theft: “Oh my God, may God punish you for doing that. It's just terrible.”
“100, 200 vases, if not more. We found four or five thrown on the ground. We don't know if they had too many in their hands and dropped them.” she added.
After appearing in court Thursday, Tonche-Gallardo was released on pretrial conditions, according to a Fox article.
According to Breitbart News, in March 2022, several historic headstones were vandalized at a cemetery in Waxahachie, Texas, with some pushed over or torn apart.
“While the destruction affected both new and historic areas of the cemetery, most of the damage occurred to older stones, some of which are more than 100 years old,” police said at the time. Ta.
