Servicios Funerarios de Madrid has reported to the National Police the theft of crucifixes and metallic ornamental elements from 74 tombs in the Sur Carabanchel cemetery, events that occurred on the afternoon of this Thursday.
The thieves have taken metallic elements such as the coating of marble flower pots from these tombs, as well as copper vases or crucifixes, up to a total of 74 burial units, according to sources from the municipal funeral company have confirmed to Europa Press.
The robbery would have been even more substantial if it hadn't been for the fact that one of the cemetery guards detected, during his rounds, a van that he found suspicious. Approaching to inquire about his presence, the vehicle sped away.
It was at that moment, around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, when the guard verified that numerous burials in the area were missing ornamental elements, a figure that, after accounting by those responsible for the cemetery, has been established at 74.
After filing the corresponding complaint with the National Police and providing the data that the security guard was able to collect, Servicios Funerarios de Madrid is trying to contact all the affected families to encourage them to also file a complaint, although they acknowledge that in many cases it is difficult because many users they forget to communicate their changes of address to this company to update their contact information.
In any case, the same sources emphasize that all available addresses and telephone numbers are being collected to communicate what happened.
The sources consulted have been optimistic with the identification of the thieves, since although they fled in the presence of the guard, he was able to identify the van and write down its registration number, information that is already in the possession of the Police.
Although in enclosures with the size of these cemeteries (84 hectares in the case of Sur Carabanchel and 120 in that of Almudena, both managed by Servicios Funerarios de Madrid) it is "impossible" to prevent petty thefts from occurring on time, those responsible acknowledge the unusual of robberies of this magnitude, since the enclosures have active and passive surveillance systems, such as cameras and private security personnel.
