Two individuals, with criminal records and residents of the town, are arrested accused of stealing material valued at nearly 50,000 euros
Some pieces are recovered in scrap yards and scrapyards.
Two individuals, one 39 years old and the other 33, have been arrested for, allegedly, burst 80 niches in the Cehegín cemetery (Murcia) to steal their ornaments. The suspects, with prior records and residents of the town, are accused of stealing ornamental objects from the tombs valued at nearly 50,000 euros and they are already in freedom with charges. The material, metallic, was taken, presumably, to sell it and obtain cash.
In a press release, the Civil Guard reported this Tuesday that the arrests occurred within the framework of the ‘Catacumba’ operation, which began when, last month, several citizens of Cehegín They reported damage and theft to the graves of their relativesin the parish cemetery.
Pieces recovered within the framework of the Benemérita operation ‘Catacomb’ in Cehegín.
| GC
“These events generated significant social alarm when it became known that at least 80 of the tombs They had defects and absence of metal vases, vases, crosses of Christ and other religious figures of copper, bronze and brass,” Benemérita details in the note.
One night vandalism
According to the investigations, All the affected niches were destroyed in a single night, a Saturday: The next day, Sunday, the relatives of the deceased who went to visit the place saw the broken tombstones.
“After carrying out the corresponding technical eye inspections at the crime scenes and collecting precise information about the stolen objects, the investigators focused on the inspection of recycling centers for metal products“, they point out from the Armed Institute. “In less than a week, the agents checked metal buying and selling establishments, scrapyards and scrapyards of the municipalities of Caravaca de la Cruz, Alcantarilla and Cehegín itself, among others, which resulted in the recovery of part of the stolen pieces,” the note adds.
They pulled on the thread and found the suspects: two Spanish individuals who have police records for property crimes and drug trafficking. After passing through the Caravaca de la Cruz Guard Court, they were released with charges.
The investigation remains open To try to find all the missing pieces and return them to the graves, aim for the body.