Local

Trio accused of stealing $40K worth of vases from cemetery

LOWER BURRELL, Pa. — According to police, two men and a woman are accused of stealing $40,000 worth of bronze vases from a Lower Burrell cemetery.

Investigators said 27-year-old Daniel Scott Toy, 28-year-old Brandi Jo Verner and 20-year-old Zechariah Berger stole the vases in March and April. According to arrest papers, the three went to the cemetery on several occasions between 5:30 and 11 a.m.

“We come here to honor our parents.  You want to put flowers down, and to think someone’s taking that, too sad,” said Cathy Brody.

Toy and Verner were arraigned on Wednesday for theft of more than 120 vases from the Greenwood Cemetery on Melwood Road. They were ordered held in lieu of $50,000 bail each for a preliminary hearing next month by District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec.

Toy, of Kittanning, and Verner, of Vandergrift, are accused of theft and receiving stolen property. They were in Armstrong County Jail on other charges. Berger, of Lancaster County, will be charged upon release from drug rehabilitation.

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Police say the three took the vases worth about $735 apiece to a Templeton scrap yard for cash. An employee of the business, Manor Metals, called state police to report that many vases were being brought there.

Manor Metals employees gave police copies of identification shown by the three and photocopies of receipts.

Verner allegedly told a dockworker that she got the vases from her grandfather's house and that he had used the vases to plant flowers.

Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE contributed to this report.