Steve Neavling
Carhartt Mausoleum at Woodmere Cemetery.
Would-be grave robbers struck the historic Woodmere Cemetery in Southwest Detroit on Sunday, breaking into at least one mausoleum and attempting to get into another one.
Detroit police said the break-in occurred at about 4:50 p.m.
“At this time, it does not appear that anything was taken,” police said in a news release. “This case is actively being investigated.”
It was not immediately clear which mausoleums were targeted.
In December 2012, about a dozen century-old mausoleums were ransacked by thieves, who stole doors, gates, stained glass windows, marble, and other content.
In 2011, vandals toppled 110 heads stones, smashed statues, and beheaded ornate angels at the 240-acre cemetery.
Woodmere is one of the oldest cemeteries in the city, opening in 1867, and home to many notable graves. It also is the resting place of Civil War soldiers who were moved to the cemetery after Fort Wayne was razed.
Anyone with information about the break-in is asked to call police at 313-596-5440 or Crime Stoppers at 800-SPEAK UP.
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