A man and a woman stole thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry and keepsakes from mausoleums at cemeteries in the Greater Toronto Area, in more than 300 thefts over the past year, according to charges announced by local authorities on Monday.
The charges against John Ruch, 45, and Jordan Noble, 31, encompass more than 25 counts each, including indignity to a dead body, theft under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime and possession of break-in instruments, the Halton Regional Police Service in Ontario said in a news release. The authorities said they expected more charges as the investigation continued.
At a news conference on Monday, Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie of the police department displayed some of the 600 items that officers had recovered.
“This was a crime against places of peace and remembrance,” Chief Wilkie said, adding that it was “a crime that has inflicted deep emotional pain and heartbreak on families already grieving for their loved ones.”
Constable Ryan Anderson, a department spokesman, said Mr. Ruch and Ms. Noble were Canadian citizens with no apparent fixed address. The nature of their relationship was unclear.
Mr. Ruch and Ms. Noble were arrested on Nov. 7 at a motel in Niagara Falls, where officers found “thousands of dollars’ worth of jewelry and other stolen property,” the authorities said.
Over the past several months, the authorities said, Mr. Ruch and Ms. Noble had committed hundreds of thefts from “cremation niches” at mausoleums in Burlington, Oakville, Toronto and the Niagara region. Constable Anderson described a cremation niche as a glass or clear box that is placed inside the mausoleum so a family can store mementos and ashes of a loved one.
“The suspects targeted jewelry, decorative cremation urns, keepsakes and other valuables often stored in these niches,” the department said.
The pair often swiped necklaces and other jewelry, which they sold at pawnshops or privately, according to the police.
The daytime thefts occurred at eight locations, the authorities said. The mausoleums affected in Halton included Glen Oaks Memorial Funeral Home and Cemetery in Oakville and the Bayview Cemetery and Crematorium in Burlington. Halton is a regional municipality in southern Ontario.
“These events are deeply disturbing and disrespectful and have not only caused material loss to families and communities but also emotional anguish and renewed grief,” the Ontario Association of Cemetery and Funeral Professionals said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear if Mr. Ruch and Ms. Noble had lawyers. They were being held pending a bail hearing in Milton, Ontario, the police said.
The department said it had recovered hundreds of items, which were being cataloged and will be returned to the affected families.
Investigators said there might be more families who have not discovered missing items. Many of the stolen items may have already been sold or melted down for resale, they added.
Families who believe they may have had items stolen from a mausoleum recently are encouraged to email investigators at [email protected].
Johnny Diaz is a reporter for The Times covering breaking news from Miami.
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