Police officers from Wolsztyn (Wielkopolskie Voivodeship) received a report about a person walking around a Soviet cemetery at night. As it turned out, the man was trying to steal brass plaques from tombstones. Although he managed to escape, the uniforms noticed his face, thanks to which, after several days, the suspect was detained and placed under arrest.
At the beginning of July, in the middle of the night, the duty officer of the Poviat Police Headquarters in Wolsztyn received information on the emergency number 112 about a suspiciously behaving person walking with a flashlight at the cemetery of Soviet soldiers in Wolsztyn.
He managed to escape from the cemetery
A patrol was sent to the site, which noticed a 29-year-old Wolsztyn citizen known to them. – When the man saw the policemen, he ran away, losing the tools he had with him and parts of his clothing on the way. Despite the pursuit, the policemen failed to stop the man – explains Staff Assistant Wojciech Adamczyk, press officer of the District Police Headquarters in Wolsztyn.
Although the police checked the nearby properties and streets, towards which the 29-year-old fled, they failed to apprehend him. – Since the uniforms saw his face and recognized him without a shadow of a doubt, the arrest was only a matter of time – emphasizes Adamczyk.
Police officers at the cemetery discovered the reason for his visit and escape – they found 16 brass plates dismantled from tombstones, which the thief had prepared for removal.
Brass plaques from Soviet tombstonesKPP Wolsztyn
A graveyard thief ran into the street
– Wolsztynianin was hiding from the police for several weeks. Late in the evening of July 23, he was noticed by the policemen of the Criminal Department in the area of Żeromskiego Street in Wolsztyn. After a short chase, the policemen detained and overpowered him, and then brought him to the police station, Adamczyk said.
The 29-year-old was arrestedKPP Wolsztyn
The man was charged with robbing graves at the cemetery of Soviet soldiers and stealing 16 brass memorial plaques. He faces up to eight years in prison. And this is not the end of his troubles – in connection with the proceedings initiated against him earlier, he was charged with theft of power tools worth about PLN 3,000, which he committed in June.
The 29-year-old went straight from police custody to a penitentiary facility in connection with the indictment for previous crimes.
Main photo source: KPP Wolsztyn