(La Porte, IN) - Stolen bronze grave markers of deceased veterans in LaPorte County had their names grinded off and were cut into pieces before sold for scrap.
Those are among the new details obtained in the case against both suspects arrested on Friday.
Terry Wood, Jr., 53, and Breanna Puentez, 25, are charged in LaPorte Circuit Court with Level 5 felony theft and Level 6 felony cemetery mischief. They’re scheduled to appear for their initial court hearings before Judge Tom Alevizos on Friday.
Initially, the markers listing the names of veterans and information about their military service on the back of their headstones were reported stolen last month at cemeteries in Rolling Prairie and Union Mills.
More were discovered missing at Carmel Cemetery near Westville, Pinola Cemetery along with Greenwood and St. Stanislaus cemeteries in Michigan City, according to La Porte County Police.
Police said it appears a pry bar was used to remove the name plates judging by scratch marks left on the headstones.
After help from the public was sought in late August to try and generate leads in the case, Dynamic Metal Recycling at Kingsbury Industrial Park notified the sheriff’s office the following day about receiving what appeared to be the stolen grave markers, court documents revealed.
Police said the names were grinded off the roughly two feet long by one foot wide markers and the metal was cut into pieces before sold for scrap value.
According to court documents, investigators by piecing together the metal like a jaw saw puzzle determined 11 of the stolen grave markers were sold at the scrap yard in Kingsbury.
The business also provided detectives with three receipts from alleged transactions with Wood over a near two week period beginning August 15. How much was allegedly paid to Wood during those exchanges was not disclosed.
There were at least four other stolen grave markers of veterans not yet recovered, police said.
Wood was arrested on September 6 at his home in the 400 block of Andrew Ave. on LaPorte’s west side. Puentez was taken into custody later that day at an undisclosed location, police said.
According to court documents, Wood confessed to the crimes and described Puentez as his girlfriend. He also told police she was with him each time he stole the name plates and sold them for scrap.
Court documents also revealed that replacing each name plate would cost anywhere from $4,000 to $5,000.
Wood was still being held Monday in the LaPorte County Jail on $15,000, according to jail records. No bail was set for Puentez.
Court records show Puentez was out on a previous bond for still undecided possession of methamphetamine charges filed in LaPorte County last year.
