Three Women Arrested in Military Grave Marker Thefts

Police here are thanking a Cinnaminson man after they arrested three females in connection with a series of military grave marker thefts from area cemeteries—including Lakeview Memorial Park on Route 130.

Arielle K. Levin, 19, of Palmyra, Jamie L. Babcock, 27, of Bellmawr, and Tosha M. Fugett, 25, of Riverside, were arrested and charged with theft and fencing stolen property after an investigation.

The Cinnaminson man—a Philadelphia scrap yard owner—got enough information out of the women who were selling him stolen goods that police identified them, said Det. Sgt. William Covert of the .

The three women brought stolen military flag grave markers—some dating back to the Civil War—to  the scrap yard. The owner knew what the items were, took them in and paid for them, Covert said.

He handed over close to $1,600.

“Then he started doing some research of his own,” Covert said.

The man got one of the woman to admit where the items were from. By coincidence, the scrap yard owner lives in Cinnaminson and knew the local cemetery.

When the women returned to the business to sell more items, Covert said, the owner called Lakeview Cemetery.

“We’ve got video from both occasions of them unloading the items and getting money and we started doing some investigating,” Covert said. “We were able to identify them finally.”

Police recovered 380 grave markers and flower urns from the scrap yard, but only some of those items are from Lakeview. Some items are from WWI, WWII and even the Spanish-American War, Covert said.

The items are being held at Lakeview until police figure out from where the other items were stolen.

“We know for a fact some came from Monument Cemetery in Edgewater Park,” Covert said.

Other cemeteries could include New St. Mary’s Cemetery in Bellmawr, St. Peter’s Cemetery in Riverside, and three others in Cherry Hill who have been experiencing thefts, too, Covert said.

These arrests are not related to a that occurred earlier this year at the same cemetery in Cinnaminson.

Police are not releasing the name of the scrap yard owner, since he could be of some assistance in other arrests. There will be no charges made for receiving stolen property, Covert said.

“If anything, he’d be getting an award,” Covert said. “He knew the significance of these things and helped us.”

The three women are lodged in Burlington County Jail in default of $20,000 cash bail.

The investigation is ongoing in an attempt to see that each marker is returned to its rightful owner, Covert said. If anyone identifies a grave marker as stolen, contact the police department at 856-829-6667.