Working with police departments in Westchester, LaGrange, Hillside and Justice, Forest Park police on August 18 arrested a man and woman from Westchester on charges they had stolen the brass doors off a mausoleum in a Forest Park cemetery. The pair also face charges of thefts from cemeteries in other nearby communities.
John Kozeluh, 49, and Lana Grey, 38, were located and taken into custody by Forest Park police. Kozeluh was charged with two counts of violating the Cemetery Protection Act, two counts of theft, and two counts of criminal damage to property. Grey was charged with one count of violating the Cemetery Protection Act.
On July 6, Forest Park police received a report that mausoleum doors had been stolen from a cemetery within the Village of Forest Park, with similar incidents in other cemeteries in the village and across nearby municipalities.
The heavy, brass doors to mausoleums can weigh hundreds of pounds and be worth thousands of dollars, prompting thieves to attempt to steal and sell them for scrap metal. In June, thieves used power tools to steal doors off their hinges in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Depending on its quality and condition, scrap brass can sell for between $1 and $4 per pound. Last year, a Chicago alderman shut down an illegal scrapyard operation discovered in an abandoned restaurant in the Chatham neighborhood.
In Illinois, willfully and knowingly removing a memorial, monument or marker commemorating the deceased is a Class 2 felony, which carries a prison sentence of 3 to 7 years and fines of up to $25,000.
Unfortunately, Illinois is no stranger to cemetery theft. Last fall, multiple bronze vases were stolen from a cemetery in Wheeling Township. Security footage also showed an individual tampering with grave markers. Last month, copper and brass fixtures were stripped and stolen from dozens of graves at a cemetery in Peoria.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the date of the arrest. Arrests were made August 18. We apologize for the error.