Connecticut Police: Stolen Cemetery Statues Sold as Scrap

December 19, 2011

Waterbury, Conn., police say they’ve charged a man with stealing two bronze statues from a cemetery and selling them off as scrap metal for $1,500.

Twenty-six-year-old Jonathon Leveille of Southington was charged with first-degree larceny and other crimes in last weekend’s thefts at Riverside Cemetery. Police say they also have an arrest warrant for 22-year-old Donald Petruzzi of Waterbury and are looking for him in connection with the thefts.

Both statues were recovered, but one was destroyed. A life-size statue of a woman was cut into pieces. The other statue, a hooded figure representing Death, was found intact.

Police say the statues were sold to workers at a Bristol recycling business who later called police after hearing news about the thefts.

It’s not clear if Leveille and Petruzzi have lawyers.