Two people have been charged in a spate of mausoleum and cemetery thefts in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area and the Niagara region.
Halton police said Monday that officers investigated more than 300 thefts over the last two months in which thieves targeted jewelry, decorative cremation urns, keepsakes and other valuables.
Police said eight mausoleums and cemeteries were targeted during daytime hours, and thieves tricked property managers by posing as grieving family members wishing to tour the premises.
They alleged the suspects used tools to unlock and open niches without causing visible damage.
Deputy police chief Roger Wilkie said the suspects deceived property managers at the targeted mausoleums and cemeteries, posing as family members in some cases to tour the area before they committed the crimes.
"This was a crime against places of peace and remembrance," he said. "A crime that has inflicted deep emotional pain and heartbreak on families already grieving for their loved ones, families who have now experienced violation, anger, disrespect and a painful resurgence of their loss."
He said most of the thefts happened in daylight hours and some of the stolen items were sold, melted down or discarded.
"We also discovered the accused had dumped the ashes of loved ones, a reprehensible, disrespectful and immoral act," Wilkie said.
"This was not a crime of opportunity. It was premeditated, deliberate and utterly disgraceful."
A 45-year-old man and 31-year-old woman were arrested and charged with dozens of offences including indignity to a dead body, theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.
Police said officers arrested the two accused at a motel in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Nov. 7.
Police said they searched the motel and a vehicle, resulting in the recovery of thousands of dollars' worth of jewelry and other stolen property.
They said officers seized 600 stolen items.
Police said the crimes have caused intense emotional pain and heartbreak for the families.
"Sadly, we know that there are likely more victims," Wilkie said.
"Our hope today is to identify and support those families, provide closure, and reconnect loved ones with recovered property wherever possible."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025.
Maan Alhmidi, The Canadian Press