A GRAVE robber who plundered an Alicante province cemetery several times has been arrested by the Guardia Civil.
The 43-year-old man struck at his local cemetery in Almoradi and would then pawn off the mainly metal-based items he stole which had been left by grieving families.
The Guardia revealed that he had been previously arrested for theft and that his detention had ended major concerns and worries from residents about what was going on.
The thief’s macabre targets were burial niches containing metal items and rosaries and on one occasion, he went as far as rummaging through skeletal remains.
Almoradi council reported the series of thefts in late December at the cemetery where a warehouse and cleaning room were also broken into.
After one robbery, officers recovered some of the stolen items dumped just a few metres away, suggesting that the perpetrator left on foot and lived close by.
An inventory of pilfered items was taken and Guardia officers started checking scrap yards and recycling centres around Almoradi.
A visit to one business saw the recovery of stolen goods taken from the cemetery warehouse worth around €300.
The retailer had the contact details of the seller who was then arrested.
He’s been charged with seven counts of robbery and two counts for desecrating graves.
