Police accuse two men and a woman of taking almost $89,000 worth of bronze vases from Greenwood Cemetery in Lower Burrell.
Daniel Scott Toy, 27, of Cirrincone Lane, Kittanning, and Brandi Jo Verner, 28, of Lincoln Street, Vandergrift, are accused of theft and receiving stolen property. Toy and Verner were in Armstrong County Jail on other charges.
Zechariah Berger, 20, of Columbia, Lancaster County, will be charged upon release from drug rehabilitation.
Police say the trio stole the vases in March and April to buy heroin.
Toy and Verner were arraigned on Wednesday for theft of more than 120 vases from the Melwood Road cemetery. They were ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail each for a preliminary hearing next month by District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.
Police say the three took the vases worth about $735 apiece to a Templeton scrap yard for cash.An employee of the business, Manor Metals, called state police to report that many vases were being brought there.
Manor Metals employees gave police copies of identification shown by the three and photocopies of receipts.
Verner allegedly told a dockworker that she got the vases from her grandfather's house and that he had used the vases to plant flowers.
According to arrest papers, the three went to the cemetery on several occasions between 5:30 and 11 a.m.
Verner and Toy were in the Armstrong County Jail for allegedly failing to comply with a judge's order. Verner also is accused of having drugs.
Chuck Biedka is a staff writer for Trib Total Media.
