SOUTHINGTON — A Meriden man is facing several charges after police said he was responsible for cemetery thefts in Southington in May of 2016. On October 6, police arrested James Gill, 43, at the Bristol Superior Court. He was already in jail for an unrelated case.
Gill was charged with 3 counts of larceny, 3 counts of interference with a cemetery and 3 counts of unlawful possession or sale of gravestones.
During the past year, the St. Thomas Cemetery in Southington reported numerous thefts of religious statues from headstones. The statues ranged from 2-4 feet in height and were constructed of hand carved marble. The estimated value for each statue ranged from $2,300 – $6,000. During the course of the investigation, 15 statues were recovered. Investigators were able to link 3 statues as being sold by James Gill to third parties.
The investigation is ongoing, and police are trying to determine where the remaining statues came from.
If you have any information, police ask that you call Officer John Marenholz at 860-378-1648.
