Numerous bronze plaques stolen from the Westbank Cemetery and a Kelowna cemetery have been recovered by RCMP following numerous tips from the public.
“Due to the public outrage and callous nature of the thefts, West Kelowna RCMP received a number of helpful tips,” Const. Lesley Smith said on Thursday morning.
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“Officers found a large pile of bronze squares at the scene and it was evident that the suspect(s) had removed the names from some of the plaques and cut them into these small squares likely in preparation to turning them in for recycling processing,” Const. Smith said.
So far, no suspects have been arrested following the Sept. 25 raid at an undisclosed Okanagan property.
The recovered plaques have been returned to the municipalities where they were stolen from, according to RCMP.
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The City of West Kelowna said that around 30 of the more than 50 plaques that were stolen from their Westbank Cemetery have been returned to the city.
Those that are in good condition will be reinstalled by the city at no charge to families.
The city said on Thursday morning it was currently in the process of contacting all the families whose grave markers have been recovered.
“Some of the people are just obviously over the moon. We’ve had a lot of sadness the last week or so talking to these families. It’s a very disparaging thing we had to tell them,” said city spokesperson Kirsten Jones.
“So now to get the news it has been recovered, they’re thrilled.”
The city is also recommending impacted families call the Westbank Cemetery for updates.
Victims of plaque thefts earlier this month called the crime a low blow.
“That’s the lowest of low to go steal plaques off a graveyard. That is hitting somebody when they are down,” Adriana Peplinski told Global News, on Sunday.
While plaques were recovered from the West Kelowna and Kelowna thefts, bronze markers that were taken from Lake Country last earlier this month have yet to be located.
Lakeview Memorial Gardens in Kelowna had four large bronze grave plaques stolen in July.