Lake County Sheriff’s detectives have arrested one man, and have obtained an arrest warrant for another in connection with the theft of vases from cemeteries in Lake County and McHenry County.
In August 2024, sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of stolen vases from a cemetery in unincorporated Libertyville. The victims reported that they had purchased brass or bronze vases, valued between $500 and $800 each, to place on the headstones of their loved ones. Further investigation revealed that hundreds of similar vases had been stolen from cemeteries across Lake County and McHenry County.
Working closely with other law enforcement agencies, Lake County Sheriff’s detectives developed leads that led to the identification of two suspects …
Marcos Mendez, 41, of the 3000 block of Route 120, Waukegan, and
Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, of the 300 block of N Green Bay Road, Waukegan.
After stealing the vases, the suspects sold them to scrapyards for a fraction of their value, where the vases were melted down for their metal content.
Sheriff’s detectives are now investigating the scrapyards to determine if any criminal liability exists for accepting the stolen vases.
Wednesday, October 9, 2024, detectives arrested Fermin Tonche-Gallardo. After reviewing the evidence, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office approved the following charges:
One count of Theft (Class 3 Felony), and
Five Counts of Causing Damage to a Headstone (Class 3 Felonies)
Additional charges are anticipated.
An arrest warrant for Mendez has also been issued, and detectives are actively seeking his apprehension.
“There’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. I’m incredibly proud of the hard work of our team and the collaboration with our law enforcement partners in bringing these suspects to justice.”
— Lake County Sheriff John D. Idleburg
Tonche-Gallardo appeared in court this morning and was released with pre-trial conditions. He is next due in court on November 7, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom T020.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
— Lake County Sheriff’s Office
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