A low blow: Dozen vases stolen from headstones at Peninsula cemetery
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — It’s about as low as you can go — stealing from graves.
A family contacted 10 On Your Side after discovering the vase on their mother’s headstone at Greenlawn cemetery had been stolen. 10 On Your Side quickly discovered that they are not the only victims.
“Her grandkids, we all come out here very often to pay respect and show our love and let her know that she’s still very much in our hearts and in our minds,” said Johnny Staton, who, along with his family visits his mother’s grave often.
On Sunday, while walking to the headstone, Staton’s brother, Tony, discovered several holes in headstones, where vases full of flowers usually sit.
“Then I came down immediately after and found the same pain that he felt,” Johnny Staton said.
Someone trudged down a line of graves, ripping vases from their sacred spaces. While 10 On Your Side was at the cemetery, staff was outside surveying the damage.
They counted a dozen stones with missing vases.
The cemetery owner told 10 On Your Side the vessels are made of bronze and worth hundreds of dollars apiece. He has reason to believe that whoever took them cut them in half, went straight to the scrap metal yard and then sold them.
“Whether they’re trying to sell them for money, for drugs or whatever, it’s like, this is not it,” Staton said. “This is just despicable for them to come out here and do this to people, loved ones, you know.”
The cemetery management told 10 On Your Side they contacted both Newport News and Hampton police, as parts of the cemetery sit in both cities.
Police tell us they are looking in to it.
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