120 vases stolen from cemetery

Someone looking to loot some brass apparently thought they could take it from the dead.

Sunset Memorial Gardens reported 120 brass vases were picked from its gravesites. According to a police report filed Thursday, they had a net worth of $35,400.

Sunset general manager Bill Vallie and Odessa police Cpl. Sherrie Carruth said two people were arrested Thursday at a recycling center in Midland County and 109 of the 120 vases were recovered.

Midland County Sheriff Gary Painter said deputies arrested Travis Wayne Todd Jr. and Marretta Kay Todd in connection to the thefts.

Travis Todd was being held on Friday at the Midland County jail on unrelated warrants for two building burglary charges from Randall and Wheeler counties. Marretta Todd posted a $500 bond for an unrelated dangerous-drug warrant.

Vallie said he was not sure if they were taken all in one night or if it was done over time, but he realized Thursday morning that too many of them were missing.

"We found markers that had vases removed, and as we counted up, the numbers just got huge," Vallie said.

What about the 11 vases that were not found?

"Theoretically, we're not responsible for any theft, but we never adhered to that policy. We always replaced them," he said. "We feel obligated to take care of them."

He estimated it would cost the cemetery $3,300 to replace the 11 missing vases.

Carruth said the thefts were not related to Friday's police memorial nor did they affect it. As for the culprit, she said police suspected it was someone looking to cash in on the brass.

Painter said Midland Recycle, along with the recycling center in Odessa, was put on alert Thursday after Sunset reported the thefts. He said Midland Recycles employees called deputies at 11:30 a.m. Thursday when the Todds came there to try to sell the vases, and employees tried to delay the suspects until deputies arrived to arrest them.