The parents of a young man who took his own life thanked the police for recovering mementoes of their son which were taken from his grave.
Two bronze hands were taken from the grave of TJ Brucic in July but the police have arrested a man they allege took them. The two hands which represented the 25-year-old son's gestures were recovered after a police raid.
"It devastated me when I got there to the cemetery and I saw the two hands that symbolised him had been taken away from his resting place," TJ's father, Tony, said, standing alongside his wife and TJ's mother, Mary.
"I just found it so disturbing that some people could actually do such a thing at someone's resting place.
"So, I'd like to say a great thank you to the ACT Policing for a great job."
The police said that three graves were robbed at Gunghalin cemetery in Mitchell. a mobile phone was also stolen there at the time.
Only one of the items stolen from graves has not been recovered: a large quartz memorial stone.
The recovered items were found when police raided a house in Bonner last week. A gun and ammunition were also found in the raid.
The police said the 39-year-old they arrested there had a pump action rifle, ammunition, swords, number plates, methadone and several mobile phones.
When the unrecovered quartz stone was taken from the grave of Sariah Rose, who had died from cancer at the age of 27, her family said that the theft of what to them was a sacred remembrance was "shocking and unbelievable".
"You've done a horrible thing and rebroken many hearts," relatives posted on social media. "How do we replace this? When it was borne and created through so much pain and heartache."
A friend of the dead woman said: "You have shattered the hearts of a family who will never stop grieving - the worst of this, Sariah's little boy is completely devastated. He went there this morning to see his mother only to find the act you had committed.
"This needs to come back. This needs to be undone."
The police said on Tuesday that a search warrant had been carried out at a Bonner home on Thursday, October 31.
"During the search police located multiple items believed to have been stolen from gravesites at the Gungahlin Cemetery as well as a pump action rifle located concealed within a vehicle seat, ammunition, swords, numberplates, methadone and mobile phones," police said.
"The firearm is believed to have been stolen during a burglary on a residence in Chisholm in May this year.
"The 39-year-old was subject to an unrelated arrest warrant as he failed to appear before the Sentence Administration Board on March 28, 2023, was arrested on September 6 and granted bail to appear before the Board on September 10, 2024.
"He again failed to appear before the Board on September 10 and a further arrest warrant for breach of parole was issued. A separate arrest warrant was also issued by the ACT Magistrates Court in September in relation to unrelated criminal matters.
"The man was remanded last week and will face further charges in relation to the possession of additional stolen items from the Cemetery in Gungahlin and the stolen firearm from the burglary at his next court appearance on November 21, 2024.
"Police have now recovered all items stolen from the Cemetery in Gungahlin in late July 2024, except for a distinctive pink quartz stone that was stolen from a grave site. The stone is around 30-35cm tall with a circumference of about 40cm.
Anyone who can assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Please quote 7812019. Police say information can be provided anonymously.
