Connecticut Man Accused Of Stealing Skeletal Remains From Cemetery

WORCESTER, MA (CBSNewYork) -- A man from Connecticut has been accused of a bizarre crime, stealing skeletal remains from a cemetery in Massachusetts.

As CBS2's Jim Smith reported, police believe the suspect took the remains for religious reasons.

It sounds like something out of a scary movie, human skeletal remains taken out of a cemetery in Worcester, turning up in a home in Hartford.

Police in Connecticut said that's just what happened, and now they have arrested a suspect, Amador Medina, 32. Investigators said Medina was cooperative and showed them where to find the remains. Police said the suspect practices a religion called Santeria.

"The bones, I believe in this instance, according to our interview with the accused was that these bones will be used for medicinal purposes," a police official said, "It exists in the Latino community. Again, we see it quite often with animals be it chicken or pigs."

The remains came from a mausoleum at Hope Cemetery in Worcester. They were interred between the early and late 1900s, and came from three adults and two young children.

Fran Daviau said her parents, grandparents, and some uncles are buried at the cemetery.

"Very disturbing. What would ya do with body parts like that ya know? Or old skeletons ya know?...I'd probably snap if it was one of my family members," she said.

The suspect has a court appearance on Monday.