Marcos Mendez, 41, of Waukegan, and Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, of Waukegan, (inset) are accused of stealing vases from headstones at cemeteries in Lake and McHenry counties, including at Northshore Garden of Memories in North Chicago. | Background Photo: Google Street View; Inset: Provided

The sheriff has announced they have identified two suspects accused of stealing hundreds of vases from gravestones at cemeteries in Lake and McHenry counties and selling them.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded in August to a theft report at Highland Memorial Park, 33100 Hunt Club Road in unincorporated Libertyville.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said vases were stolen from the cemetery.

The victims reported that they had purchased brass or bronze vases, valued between $500-$800 each, to place on the headstones of their loved ones.

Covelli said a further investigation revealed that hundreds of similar vases had been stolen from cemeteries across Lake and McHenry counties.

Those included Northshore Garden of Memories in North Chicago and McHenry County Memorial Park in Woodstock.

Lake County sheriffโ€™s detectives worked closely with other law enforcement agencies and developed leads that led to the identification of two suspects.

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Marcos Mendez, 41, of Waukegan, and Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, of Waukegan, allegedly stole the vases and sold them to scrapyards “for a fraction of their value,” Covelli said.

After being sold to the scrapyards, the vases were melted down for their metal content.

Sheriffโ€™s detectives are now investigating the scrapyards to determine if any criminal liability exists for accepting the stolen vases.

Detectives arrested Tonche-Gallardo on Wednesday, Covelli said. Mendez has not been arrested yet.

The Lake County Stateโ€™s Attorneyโ€™s Office approved theft and five counts of causing damage to a headstone. Additional charges are anticipated.

An arrest warrant for Mendez has been issued and detectives are actively seeking his apprehension.

“Thereโ€™s nothing much lower than stealing from those resting in peace. Instead of honoring their loved ones, people were victimized by theft at a sacred place,” Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg said.

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“Iโ€™m incredibly proud of the hard work of our team and the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in bringing these suspects to justice,” Idleburg said.

Tonche-Gallardo appeared in First Appearance Court on Thursday morning and was released with pre-trial conditions.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on November 7.