Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing more than 100 bronze memorial vases from a Maryland cemetery.
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The thefts took place at Trinity Memorial Gardens, located 23 miles southeast of Washington, D.C., in Waldorf. The vases were worth around $100,000.
Authorties Found Garbage Cans Filled With Vases
The Charles County Sheriff's Office shared yesterday, July 22, that 34-year-old David Anthony Downing and 25-year-old Trey Franklin Mason were arrested in connection with the thefts.
"These thefts occurred during two time periods: between June 8 and June 21 and between July 4 and July 6," it read.
As reported by PEOPLE, detectives spotted a car parked near the cemetery on Wednesday, July 8. The suspects were allegedly caught in the act. Authorities then discovered "garbage cans filled with bronze vases."
The evidence at the scene led detectives to the suspects. Mason was arrested at a nearby hotel the same night detectives spotted the van. Downing was taken in on July 16 after further investigation.
The Suspects May Have Been Trying to Sell the Vases
Officials found that "up to 100 vases stolen during the first time period had been transported to a scrap metal recycling facility." It is believed the suspects were trying to sell them to a dealer.
After the vases had been recovered from the facility, the ones that had not been processed or melted down had an estimated value of over $100,000.
It was back in June when Maddie Shotwell discovered the vases of both her father and grandparents had been stolen. They were worth around $900 each.
"I'm not even going to lie, I cried because it was just overwhelming," said Shotwell. "Instead of planning my wedding, I have now put all of my energy towards figuring out where these vases went and how I'm going to replace them."
She added that she plans to attend the trial of the suspects. The two are being charged with theft scheme, destruction of property, fraud, and other related charges.
A spokesperson for the Charles County Sheriff's Office said, "It was really important to us to try to get closure in this case. That's why they kept doing these random checks, hoping to catch somebody, and their hunches paid off. Their work paid off."
