According to The Catholic Register major theft and property damage has occurred at St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in London, Ontario. A 35 year-old man is being charged by London Police for the theft of 43 bronze vases and plaques taken from gravesites at the cemetery.
In a statement given by Matthew Clarke, the director of communications for the Diocese of London, he explained that a staff member had been showing people around the cemetery and noticed the extent of damages: that the bronze vases and plaques had been broken off the mountings that held them in place. These bronze vases and plaques had been taken by the man and who had then proceeded to sell the pieces to scrap yards. The man, Mark Nadeau, had been caught only by the yard owner who had watched a segment on television about the thefts. The owner notified the authorities leading to Nadeau’s arrest.
London Police charged Nadeau with possession of stolen property amounting to about 5,000$ in total. While gaining back the stolen pieces from various scrap yards, the damages exceeded that of reattaching them back to the mounts that they were taken from. Nadeau was scheduled for court in January of 2024.