ORLANDO, Fla. – Thousands of central Florida families say they feel ripped off after finding out the priceless vases from their loved ones' grave sites have been stolen by robbers looking to make some easy cash. It's a trend that's been growing for years.
A local cemetery partnered with us and provided us vases to find out why this is happening so much. And we found, even though it's a crime, it's just too easy to cash in, leaving loved ones in pain.
We sent our cameraman undercover to try and sell these brass funeral vases to four different scrap metal yards.
At the first location, the man took the vase from our bag, weighed it and gave my cameraman the money, no questions asked.
Our second stop was pretty much the same: After they weighed the vase, we got the money.
At the third location, it was the same deal.
But at our last stop: no luck. We showed the vase but the man said no and pointed to the list of 21 items that scrap metal yards can't buy.
We showed our undercover video to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
"Three out of four scrap metal yards actually bought the vase, no question asked.
Is this legal" Should this be happening?" asked WKMG reporter Eryka Washington.
"Based upon the video that I saw, that you showed me, all the procedures were not followed in order for there to be a legal sale of these particular metals," said Jeff Williamson of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office even sent this alert out to scrap metal yards so they can be on the lookout for stolen vases.
"We do our best. We are checking. We do period checks of these particular establishments and we are looking for those who don't follow the law," said Williamson.
And the numbers show that it’s happening all too often.
Over 100 vases were stolen from Washington Park cemetery, costing $15,000.
Oaklawn Cemetery had nearly 300 vases stolen, costing $36,000.
And Woodlawn Cemetery had over 1,000 vases stolen, costing $90,000.
"People are stealing it because of the value, even though the scrap value isn't anything near what it cost to make it," said Rose Mock, owner of Allied Processors.
Allied Processors is a scrap metal yard,. Mock says owners must be vigilant and train their staff,. "If your employees aren't trained and they are at the scale, that's just a disastrous situation. We would ask you a gazillion questions and that's the way it should be because they shouldn't have it to begin with," Mock said.
And that's what's causing heartache for thousands of families in Central Florida.
Just last month we got results for Sammay Battle Love, who had three vases stolen from her family’s gravesites. We got them replaced for her.
"It brings tears to my eyes" said Sammay Battle Love.
The vases might mean easy money to thieves, but it’s their sentimental value that's priceless to the families.
"This is the only thing I can give them that gives me the joy of still having them with me," said Battle Love.
So, is there a way to sell the vases legally? The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says for a legal sale you must have proof of ownership. That means proof of where you obtained the vase and how you paid for it. You disclose this information to the scrap dealer, who then should mail you a check to the address on your driver’s license.