GTA police recover more than 600 stolen items in mausoleum theft case

Halton regional police say investigators have laid 18 additional charges in a series of thefts targeting mausoleums across the Greater Toronto Area.

Police say the thefts took place over several months and involved cremation niches in cemeteries in Oakville, Burlington, Toronto and the Niagara region.

Investigators allege the suspects entered mausoleums during daytime hours and used tools to break into niche compartments, stealing hundreds of items like jewelry, decorative urns, keepsakes and other valuables often stored inside.

Police say some of the stolen items included necklaces and jewelry containing human remains, which were discarded before the jewelry was sold at pawnshops or through private sales.

Since November 2025, more than 140 people have contacted investigators and 26 stolen items have been returned to families.

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However, police say many recovered items remain unclaimed and have posted photos of the property online in hopes of returning them to their rightful owners.

You can view the images here.

If you identify an item from these photographs that belongs to a deceased loved one, email  mausoleumthefts@haltonpolice.ca and provide the following documentation:

• Proof of the cemetery where the cremation niche is stored or registered (location)
• Approximate time frame of the theft (last visitation to the cremation niche)
• Details and descriptions of the stolen items (photograph of the cremation niche/items if available)
• Name of the deceased person(s)

Investigators will review your request and contact you with instructions on how to proceed.

A 45-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, both of no fixed address, were charged in November 2025 for indignity to a dead body, theft under $5,000 and possession of property obtained by crime.

“These crimes are deeply disturbing and strike at the heart of our community’s sense of dignity and compassion,” Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie said in a statement.

Police are asking anyone who believes items belonging to a loved one may have been stolen to contact investigators.

— with files from Global News’ Aaron D’Andrea