Man arrested for stealing vases from St. Pete cemetery
July 26, 2022 - The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office arrested a St. Petersburg man Saturday after allegedly stealing over 125 bronze vases from a local cemetery. According to detectives, Douglas Deck Jr. sold the vases as 661 pounds of brass scrap metal, receiving $1,149. The vases were removed from burial plots at Memorial Park Funeral Home, located at 5750 49th St. N. in St. Petersburg. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the theft and removal of the vases from concrete headstones cost the cemetery an estimated $150,000. During the investigation, detectives allegedly found Deck’s bicycle in the cemetery, which is next to his home. He later admitted to “finding” the vases and was arrested for dealing in stolen property, damage or removal of a tomb or monument and possession of a controlled substance.