Unholy act: Vandals steal ashes from cemetery

STRATFORD, Conn. (WTXF) - Someone stole urns containing the remains of 18 people from a Connecticut cemetery. Now, police are hoping tips will catch whoever did it and more importantly, recover the remains.

The vandalism and theft happened at the Union Cemetery in Stratford, sometime between Thursday and Friday.

The person or persons smashed the columbarium to pieces and stole the urns containing the cremated remains.

The structure had been there for 20 years.

The groundskeeper noticed the damage on Friday and called police.

"I've never seen anything like this before. How could somebody do this? I'm in complete shock," he said.

"We are very concerned as to who would do such a thing -- it's beyond comprehension and imagination," added Sheldon Gerarden, the president of the Union Cemetery Association.