Two Paducah residents arrested for stealing urns from cemetery | Crime

PADUCAH, KY (KFVS) - The Paducah Police Department says a man and woman have been arrested in connection with stealing urns from graves in Maplelawn Cemetery.

Timothy L. Rudolph, 36, of Lincoln Avenue in Paducah was arrested on warrants charging him with felony theft over $500.

Crystal G. Abanatha, 30, of Old North Friendship Road in Paducah was arrested on a warrant also charging her with felony theft over $500.

Police say officials at the cemetery reported Thursday that 24 urns were missing. Detectives began contacting recycling facilities in the area and employees of River Metals in Paducah told them they had bought several urns. Officers say the employees gave them a license number for a car driven by the sellers.

Police found the car on Friday at a recycling center in Metropolis, Ill. and say they saw Rudolph and Abanatha unloading urns from the car. Metropolis police detained them until detectives could get arrest warrants, which were served at the Massac County Detention Center.

In all, police say they recovered 30 cemetery urns, all of which Rudolph said were taken from Maplelawn Cemetery. Because the cemetery only reported 24 missing urns, police say six urns remain unidentified.

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