COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thousands of dollars worth of bronze vases were stolen from a local cemetery during recent weeks.
NBC 4 reported with where Columbus police's investigation stands.
When it comes to making a buck, thieves seemingly stop at nothing.
In recent weeks, thieves have targeted one East Side cemetery, and its general manager had a simple message for those thieves: "Please, do what's right."
Last month, it was noticed a bronze vase was missing from one of Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens' 3,500 markers. Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens is located at 5600 E. Broad St.
Then a second vase went missing. In all, more than 30 vases were stolen from the grounds.
“This is a piece -- a tool for them to grieve, memorialize their loved ones,” General Manager Greg Villwock said.
With the holidays, it makes the timing of the crimes nearly as bad as the location.
When not in use, the vases are inverted and sunk into the ground. The thieves take the vases out of the bases and cut the chains that attach them to the markers.
Why steal vases from cemeteries? Villwock said he assumes it's for the bronze.
“Unfortunately, this happens city-wide. It's a national problem. As the price of metal goes up, unfortunately, this is happening,” he said
He said the stolen vases are worth about $9,000.
Aside from the financial toll, he said this kind of theft takes an emotional toll, too, on the victim(s).
I just don't understand. I know the economy is really tough right now. It's very disrespectful -- not only to the people who are here today, but the people who aren’t here today, Villwock said.
Villwock said they are in the process of notifying families and are working with vendors to possibly replace the vases soon after the holidays.
The cemetery has been working with local scrap yards to recover the vases.
Local scrap yards told NBC 4 the going rate for a pound of bronze is about $1.20. A vase weighs around 10 to 15 pounds and are worth less than $20 each.
Those scrap yards also said they won’t accept anything, such as a vase, from a cemetery without proper documentation.
For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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