A Foristell man was charged and arrested Wednesday after allegedly stealing bronze vases from cemeteries in St. Louis and St. Charles counties.
Prosecutors in St. Charles County have charged Brett A. Stowell, 47, with stealing $25,000 or more, a class C felony. Stowell was charged by St. Louis County prosecutors with stealing $750 or more, which is a class D felony.
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According to a probable cause statement issued by the St. Charles City Police Department, 191 bronze vases valued between $300 and $400 were stolen from St. Charles Memorial Gardens.
Authorities caught Stowell on camera collecting junk goods from a recycling site in St. Louis before apprehending him. Stowell admitted to stealing vases from St. Charles Memorial Gardens to scrap but claimed to detectives he only took about 40.
During the inquiry, St. Charles police claimed they spoke with St. Louis County police, who said Stowell was a suspect in similar crimes at a cemetery.
The St. Louis County Police Department accuses Stowell of stealing 18 to 20 vases from Valhalla Cemetery.
Stowell is being jailed at the St. Charles County Jail under a $5,000 cash-only bond.
