Halton Regional Police investigators have laid 18 new charges in connection with a string of more than 600 thefts from mausoleums throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
The daytime thefts from cremation niches in Burlington, Oakville, Toronto, and Niagara region cemeteries took place over several months, Halton police said in a recent social media post. Necklaces, bracelets, watches, and other items were stolen along with decorative urns and other valuables.
Halton police arrested a man and a woman in Niagara Falls last November in connection with the thefts and are now announcing the new charges as part of the ongoing investigation.
More than 140 people have contacted police and 26 stolen items have been returned to families so far. More than 600 recovered items are still unclaimed, police said.
Investigators shared pictures of the recovered items online in hopes of helping families reclaim their lost belongings. Images of the property can be found here.
Anyone who identifies an item from the photographs as belonging to a deceased loved one can contact Halton police via email. Police said they will need the name of the deceased person, proof of the cemetery where the cremation niche is stored or registered, as well as the approximate time of the theft.
Investigators will review all requests and contact family members with instructions on how to proceed.
John Ruch, 45, of no fixed address, has been charged with 28 offences as a result of the investigation, including three counts of indignity to a dead body, 19 counts of theft under $5,000, and three property trafficking charges. Thirty-one-year-old Jordan Noble, of no fixed address, faces identical charges, with the exception of the trafficking charges.
The authorities announced last fall that more charges would likely be filed as investigators worked to recover additional stolen property taken during the robberies and to determine if there are additional victims.
Investigators did not say whether others have been charged or if the new charges involve the same suspects.
Halton Regional Police Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie described the thefts as “deeply disturbing” crimes that “strike at the heart of our community’s sense of dignity and compassion.”
“To violate spaces meant for remembrance and peace is both callous and reprehensible,” Wilkie said. “Our thoughts are with the families who have been impacted by these thefts.”
The police also warned families that investigators may be unable to recover all of the items because some of them may have been melted down or resold.
Police alleged last year that the thieves would discard the human remains and sell the valuables through private sales or at pawn shops.
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