Suburban cemetery vase thefts: One suspect in custody, another on the run
Pictured is Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30.
LAKE COUNTY, Ill. - One man is in custody and another is on the run after being accused of stealing vases from cemeteries in Lake and McHenry counties.
Lake County deputies were called in August after a report of stolen vases at a cemetery in unincorporated Libertyville.
The victims had purchased brass or bronze vases, valued between $500 and $800 each, to place on their loved ones' headstones. Authorities investigated further and found that hundreds of similar vases had been stolen from cemeteries in Lake and McHenry counties.
Two suspects were identified in the thefts — Marcos Mendez, 41, and Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, both of Waukegan, according to the sheriff’s office. Both are accused of stealing the vases and selling them to scrapyards for a fraction of their value.
Detectives are also investigating the scrapyards where the vases were sold to determine any potential criminal liability.
Tonche-Gallardo was arrested Oct. 9 for theft, a class 3 felony, and five counts of causing damage to a headstone, also a class 3 felony. More charges are expected, authorities said.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Mendez, who remains at large.
Tonche-Gallardo appeared in court on Thursday and was released under pretrial conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 7.