WATCH ABOVE: South Simcoe Police say thieves have hit a new low targeting a cemetery in Innisfil. They made off with thousands of dollars worth of bronze vases from headstones where loved ones place flowers for those they’ve lost. As Caryn Lieberman reports, mourners say they’ll do whatever they can to catch the culprits.
INNISFIL — Kristin and Nick Duff spend hours a day at the grave site of their son at Innisvale Cemetery and Crematorium. Little Axle was delivered stillborn at 39 weeks in June.
On Saturday, the family noticed something was amiss at the cemetery, which is now the scene of a police investigation.
During the last week, more than 30 bronze vases attached to headstones were stolen throughout the cemetery. Police said they have no suspects and very little information to go on.
READ MORE: Police seeking mystery woman after flowers, mementos stolen from grave
“Given the fact that this occurred at a cemetery, someone would stoop so low as to commit this type of crime, yes, we are taking this very seriously,” said South Simcoe Police Sgt. Craig Johnson.
Kristin Duff said she’d do whatever she could to help in the investigation.
“I will sit here 24/7 to watch, to catch these people, because this is not fair,” said the grieving mother. “This is not right.”
Sue Eves’ husband is also buried at the cemetery. Her daughter called her when she heard that vases had been stolen from the cemetery and Eves drove right over to check.
“It’s disgraceful, I don’t understand why people would do that,” she said.
Eves said that the vase attached to her husband’s headstone is loose, but not gone. She said she would speak with the caretaker to have it fixed.
READ MORE: Whitby thieves steal hundreds of bronze vases from cemetery
This is not the first cemetery to be targeted in recent years.
Just last month, video of a woman stealing flowers from a grave site in London, Ont. went viral. In Sept. 2013, in Whitby, 250 bronze vases were stolen from the Mount Lawn Memorial Gardens.
And in 2007, Global News reported on a similar theft of an even greater proportion, when 800 solid bronze vases were stolen from Glendale Memorial Gardens.
Police said they would be watching websites like Craigslist and Kijiji in case thieves attempt to sell the vases in either original form — or melted down form.
Anyone with information is urged to call South Simcoe Police at (905) 775-3311 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
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