ORLANDO (AP) — Authorities are searching for a trio of modern tomb raiders that they say has stolen family heirlooms and other valuables from cemeteries in at least nine states.
The suspects — a mother and daughter, and the daughter’s boyfriend — “went on a tour of the eastern half of the United States,” breaking into niches and mausoleums, said Corporal Cole Brazee of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Officers have arrest warrants out for Porsche Bancroft, 32, her boyfriend, Drake Lee Milam, 33, and her mother, Angela Garrett, 52. All three are from Indianapolis, Brazee said in a video shared to social media. The warrants would have the suspects extradited back to Florida to face charges there.
Detectives are investigating 20 cases in Florida and believe there could be many more, according to the sheriff’s office. Brazee alleged the suspects have also hit cemeteries in Oklahoma, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, North Carolina and New York.
“There could be a significant amount of individuals that have been victimized that just don’t know it yet,” he said. “If you haven’t visited your loved one in a while and you know they’re in a niche, make sure that your property is still there.”
The Central Florida Crimeline is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest.