CHICAGO — Arrest warrants were issued this week for two Illinois men accused of stealing approximately 200 decorative vases from McHenry County Memorial Park Cemetery.
On September 3, 2024, the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office responded to a theft report from the cemetery. The vases, attached to individual gravestones, were valued between $200 and $900 each. The total theft amounted to a significant loss for the cemetery.
The McHenry County Criminal Investigations Division, working alongside the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the McHenry County State’s Attorney’s Office, identified the suspects as Fermin Tonche-Gallardo, 30, and Marcos Mendez, 41, both from Waukegan.
Both men are facing charges of theft under $10,000 and damage to gravestones. Arrest warrants have been issued for both individuals.