None — Thieves are taking expensive plastic burial vaults that hold caskets in the ground.
Crown Memorial Park keeps its property secure with a locked gate, but the owners think the thieves either walked around or crawled underneath to steal the burial vaults.
While checking the property Friday afternoon, cemetery managers were relieved to find no other vaults had been stolen.
Two days ago, they said, an unknown man was lurking behind their business office. The very next day, 30 vaults were stolen from the one area of their property that's not under surveillance.
Peggy Mitchell, who works at Crown Memorial in Pineville, said she noticed vaults were missing when one was needed.
She said she heard about Wednesday's burglary from Forest Lawn Cemetery in Lincoln County. She said she wasn't surprised they were hit, as well.
Pineville police Lt. Corey Copley said there's a chance the two cases are connected.
“It's kind of a big job for just one person to do,” he said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office also thinks there's a strong resemblance between the men, and thinks the thieves are in the cemetery business.
Mitchell said they buy the vaults for $300.
“They're reselling them,” she said.
So until police catch the thieves, Mitchell says it's back to their routine.
“We have to order more (and) put them out there, only for them to get stolen again,” she said.
WSOC
