Authorities: Man was stealing vases from cemeteries and selling them as scrap metal
A Waukegan man is charged with theft and damaging gravestones after Lake County sheriff’s detectives say he and an accomplice stole hundreds of metal vases from cemeteries throughout the region and sold them as scrap metal.
Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, is charged with felony counts of theft and causing damage to a headstone. More charges are anticipated, authorities said.
The sheriff’s office began investigating the thefts in August after being notified brass or bronze vases valued at between $500 and $800 had been pilfered from a cemetery located in an unincorporated area of the county near Libertyville.
Detectives soon learned hundreds of similar vases were also stolen from cemeteries throughout Lake and McHenry counties.
Investigators worked with other law enforcement agencies in the area to develop leads that ultimately led them Tonche-Gallardo and another Waukegan resident, 41-year-old Marcos Mendez.
“There’s nothing much lower than stealing from those resting in peace,” said Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg. “Instead of honoring their loved ones, people were victimized by theft at a sacred place.”
Tonche-Gallardo was arrested Tuesday. An arrest warrant was issued for Mendez, who remains at large, authorities said.
Tonche-Gallardo was granted pretrial release at a hearing Thursday. His next court date is slated for Nov. 7.
Detectives are also investigating the scrapyards “to determine if any criminal liability exists for accepting the stolen vases,” a sheriff’s office spokesman said.