How Desperate Is Detroit? Historic Cemetery Targeted by Scroungers

The fact that certain Detroit residents have become desperate should come as a surprise to no one. Yet, every now and then, a story comes along that reminds you just how bad things are in the Motor City.

“Scrappers are targeting an historic cemetery in southwest Detroit. They've been stealing copper doors and other items from mausoleums at Woodmere Cemetery,” My Fox Detroit reports.

“They're the final resting place for beloved mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Now, several mausoleums are vandalized, damaged by disrespectful thieves,” the report adds.

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"I always enjoy looking at mausoleums because they're so beautiful," Pat Krause, a Michigan resident, told My Fox Detroit. "As I was passing yesterday, I noticed the doors missing, I stopped, and noticed the insides vandalized as well."

The cemetery, which dates back as far as 1867, has definitely seen better days.

“Some of Detroit's most prominent families are buried here. Their crypts sat untouched for decades, until now,” My Fox Detroit notes. “We discovered broken windows, smashed marble and doors to more than a dozen graves stolen, most likely for scrap.”

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Featured image courtesy flickr userpinehurst19475.