Man Arrested For Allegedly Destroying Urns, Memorabilia From Baltimore County Mausoleum
ROSEDALE, Md. (WJZ) -- Baltimore County Police arrested a man Thursday after responding to a burglary call at Gardens of Faith Memorial Gardens.
The property manager called police just before 2:30 p.m. after a man allegedly broke into a mausoleum and shattered glass display cases containing urns and memorabilia.
Police said the man stole jewelry and other items that had been left in the display cases, then destroyed the urns.
"Somebody had gone into the mausoleum and started breaking glass display cases, taking urns and destroying those, and removing items from the mausoleum itself," Jennifer Peach, of the Baltimore County Police, said.
The man then used a fire extinguisher to destroy a number of marble tombstone vaults containing human remains.
"There were approximately 24 of the display cases that had urns in them that were destroyed in some way; some of those included the urns," Peach said. "There were also tombstones that were destroyed using a fire extinguisher."
The suspect, Emanuel Eric Padilla, 22, fled toward Kenwood Avenue where responding officers located him and place him under arrest.
Jewelry and other memorabilia were recovered from the suspect. Officials estimate the destruction and theft value at over $50,000.
"A burglary is always a very personal crime to the victim of the crime," Peach said. "In this case, I think it's especially personal to people."
The Gardens of Faith Memorial Gardens released a statement to WJZ, which read:
"We are shocked and dismayed that anyone would disturb any grave or its contents. Vandalism of any kind is unacceptable."
Padilla is charged with second and fourth-degree burglary, destruction of property, theft, removing human remains and destroying funerary objects.
"This is a place where people go to remember and reconnect with a lost loved one, and so for the desecration of that area and these urns is going to be very difficult for the people whose family members are involved in this," Peach said.
The Baltimore County Police Burglary Unit is continuing the investigation into this case.
