OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Authorities have arrested four people in connection to recent thefts at cemeteries in the Omaha metro.
Shane Jackson, 52, Kenneth Meyerott, 66, Frankie Diaz-Lopez, 26, and Miranda Shamblin, 27, were all booked Wednesday on charges of first-degree theft and possession of stolen property.
Law enforcement officials are still looking to arrest Kristin Davenport, 44, Tracey Klahn, 50, Patty Vance, 59, and Larry Trusler, 58 — all from Council Bluffs.
The Council Bluffs Police Department shared the arrests in a news release early Thursday. Officials said warrants were issued for the suspects on Tuesday.
Jackson and Diaz-Lopez are also from Council Bluffs. Shamblin is from Red Oak and Meyerott does not have a fixed address.
Diaz-Lopez is serving time at the Douglas County Jail on unrelated charges, according to the release. He, along with Jackson, Meyerott, and Davenport, are also facing a charge of solicitation of a felony.
If you have any information on any of the suspects still at large, contact 911 or 712-328-4728. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867 or leave an online tip.
The arrests come as part of an investigation into multiple reports of thefts happening at Westlawn-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery and at least one other metro-based cemetery.
There will be a news conference held by Council Bluffs police at 1 p.m. Thursday over the matter.
In the investigation, detectives found over 800 vases were stolen from area cemeteries, totaling “well over $100,000,” the release states. Authorities believe the thefts began in late June or early July.
The vases are mainly made of bronze and valued between $150-$600 per vase. Investigators allege that two former employees at Westlawn-Hillcrest conspired with others to steal and scrap the vases, CBPD says.
If you have been targeted, do not forget to file a police report so they can track the scale.
“The CBPD will work diligently to return recovered vases to families. This will prove to be a difficult task due to the items lacking serial numbers. Be sure to have as much information about your loved one’s memorial before contacting police. This would include photographs, a bill of sale, or any information to help identify your loved one’s vase,” the release says.
The Carter Lake Police Department, the Omaha Police Department, and the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation.
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