Two Westchester residents face felony charges in the attempted theft of a mausoleum door from Lithuanian National Cemetery, 8201 S. Kean Ave., Justice police said in an Oct. 2 news release.
Lana Gray, 38, and John Koseluh, 49, both of the 1600 block of Portsmouth Avenue, were taken into custody by Justice police and charged Sept. 11, police said.
Police said the two tried to steal a mausoleum door at the cemetery at about 2:40 p.m. Aug. 13, likely to sell for scrap metal.
The two arrived in a vehicle that detectives from the Forest Park, Hillside and La Grange Park police departments had previously linked to mausoleum door thefts at cemeteries in those communities, Justice police said.
Those detectives had the pair under surveillance and alerted Justice police when they tried to take the door, according to police.
A cemetery employee interupted the theft, police said, but the door was badly damaged. Repairs are estimated at more than $1,400.
Hillside police took the two into custody Aug. 16, police said. A Justice detective then interviewed them, and both admitted to the Aug. 13 incident, police said.
Each is charged with vandalism of a burial ground and criminal damage to property between $500 and $10,000, both Class 4 felonies, and attempted theft, a Class A misdemeanor.