Cemetery Burglars Busted

Two Town of Tonawanda man accused of stealing 40 vases from Elmlawn Cemetery and selling the copper out of them, may have also have robbed several other area cemeteries. Police are checking with officials at three other cemeteries, following the arrests of Robert Samson, 52, and James Howard, 47, for grand larceny, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and cemetery desecration. Detectives believe the two men sold some $5,200 worth of copper and other metals in seven or eight trips to one of the scrapyards.