Couple Steals 12 Bronze Vases From Farmingdale Cemetery, Police Say

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Police on Long Island are trying to identify a couple who they said stole a dozen bronze vases from a cemetery earlier this month.

It happened at the Pinelawn Memoral Park on Wellwood Avenue in Famingdale in the middle of the day back on Oct. 5.

A man and a woman took 12 vases and then fled in a silver four-door sedan, police said. The two were seen on surveillance video. The nearly foot-tall bronze vases had been placed on headstones at the cemetery.

CBS2's Emily Smith reports the thieves stuffed the vases under their clothing.

Families with similar headstones are outraged. The Comrie family moved anxiously toward their daughter's plot, fearing the worst, but the relief was bittersweet that their vase was still there.

"Today is the one-year anniversary of my daughter's death and to come here and see that level of violation would have been too much," said Millicent Comrie of Baldwin said.

Retired bus driver Thomas Holley of Brooklyn comes monthly to his mother's grave. Now, his sense of peace and security has been rattled.

"It's very sad and very disheartening because you come to see those you love and you want to bring them flowers," said Holley.

The cemetery said it is actively assisting police.

The large burial site is undergoing massive construction with dozens of workers there daily.

Comrie had a simple message for the cold-hearted thieves.

"Shame on them, shame on them," said Comrie

Police are offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.

Anyone with information is asked to call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential