Flower vases stolen from Fresno cemetery graves, families demand justice

Families who visited loved ones at Fresno Memorial Gardens Cemetery over the weekend found dozens of flower vases gone from gravesites, including plots in the Garden of Valor where veterans, among them some who served in World War II, are buried.

The thefts landed during Memorial Day preparations, when cemetery crews were placing American flags across the grounds, sharpening the sense of loss for families who already treat the cemetery as sacred ground. The missing vases were spread across multiple graves, and families said the damage was emotional as much as financial, a violation that felt personal and deeply disrespectful.

The stolen vases are often made of bronze or brass, metals that can be sold for scrap. Families and cemetery officials said that has made vase thefts more common as metal prices rise, turning memorial pieces into targets. Some families have already switched from metal vases to plastic ones in hopes of deterring thieves.

The problem is not new in Fresno County. In Selma, police arrested 44-year-old Jody Lynn Rodriguez on Nov. 5, 2020, after a witness saw her stealing flowers, candles, baskets and figurines from graves at Memorial Cemetery on Floral Avenue. That case showed how cemetery thefts can range beyond metal hardware to the small items families place to honor the dead.

Other cemeteries have responded by hardening security. Sheri Manning-Cartwright, executive director of Ararat Armenian Cemetery, said the cemetery increased lighting, night patrols and surveillance cameras after similar incidents, including thefts and arson. She said families often personalize vases, but theft remains an ongoing challenge even when cemeteries try deterrents such as engraving names on the vases or offering alternative designs.

At Fresno Memorial Gardens, the latest thefts have now become part of a larger question about how cemeteries protect gravesites while families prepare for the year’s most emotional holiday observance. For mourners, the stolen vases are more than metal. They are markers of memory, and their removal has left a fresh wound on already tended graves.