WORCESTER, Mass. — WORCESTER, Mass. -- Worcester police said that a second mausoleum was broken into at Hope Cemetery and three more skeletal remains were taken.
Earlier in October, police discovered a mausoleum at Hope Cemetery had been broken into and remains stolen. On Saturday, Hartford Police received a tip a Connecticut man was storing human remains. When they asked the man if he was, they said he readily admitted it and then showed them. Those remains were linked to the ones discovered missing from Hope Cemetery.
Cemetery visitor Michelle Sargent said, "My parents are over there in the corner. Seeing if, just to come and check, they were fine," she said.
Based on information during the investigation, police thought it was likely a second mausoleum was broken into. Police are not releasing the name of the second mausoleum because they are working to notify any living relatives.
Evidence suggests that whoever stole the remains did not act alone and there appears to be a group of people who are stealing human remains for religious purposes, police said.
Thirty-two-year-old Amador Medina was arrested in Hartford. He practices Santeria, which commonly uses animal remains in religious ceremonies, police say. Officers found five human remains in his apartment, three adults and two children, one as young as 15 days old from a mausoleum named Houghton. Those remains are from nearly 70 years ago.
Investigators are now conducting a citywide check of all mausoleums, making sure they haven’t been broken into or remains taken. Police said whoever is behind the theft has been carefully plotting the crimes and they believe the first mausoleum was broken into in May, but the theft of the remains didn’t happen until September. Police didn’t discover the theft until Oct. 9.
“In both thefts, the initial break was very discrete and barely perceptible,” said Worcester Chief Gary J. Gemme.
Gemme said they are contacting other police departments, encouraging them to reach out to their local cemeteries.
FOX25 did a facetime interview with Hartford Deputy Chief Brian Foley who said candles were "being used in some of the shrines. Some of the bones as well. A lot of sticks branches and that sort of thing"
Police are even trying to get in touch with relatives from the latest theft. They don't even know where the remains are now, but FOX25 has learned that they are looking for several people.
Cox Media Group
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