Gravesite Thefts At Elsinore Valley Cemetery: Arrest Made

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A woman arrested this week is suspected of stealing gravesite flowers left by loved ones who visit Elsinore Valley Cemetery, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department announced Friday.

Angela Riedel, 45, of Lake Elsinore was taken into custody Thursday by deputies after she was spotted in the area of Central and Collier avenues, according to the sheriff’s department. The location is near the 18170 Collier Avenue address of Elsinore Valley Cemetery.

Riedel was booked into Murrieta’s Cois Byrd Detention Center on suspicion of vandalism and theft within the confines of a cemetery, according to the sheriff’s department. Jail records for Riedel were unavailable Friday afternoon.

On two separate dates in December, two women were caught on surveillance video allegedly stealing flowers from gravesites at the Lake Elsinore cemetery.

Images taken from the video were fuzzy, but the pilfering appeared strategic. In each instance, the women drove to the cemetery in a small dark car, parked on the facility’s many meandering drives, and targeted gravesites with the most beautiful and largest floral arrangments. The bouquets were removed from headstones and put in the car’s trunk, according to EVC District Manager Stephanie Garcia.

The alleged thefts occurred on Dec. 5 and Dec. 14 around 9:30 a.m. In both incidents, a cemetery groundskeeper tried to intervene but the women made off with the flowers left by loved ones of those buried on the grounds, Garcia said.

“This is supposed to be a place of serenity,” Garcia said. “This shouldn’t happen.”

The surveillance video was shared with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Information about the second suspect was not made available Friday by the department but the investigation is continuing, the law enforcement agency reported. Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Deputy Stacey at the Lake Elsinore Sheriff’s Station: 951-245-3300.

Elsinore Valley Cemetery is hallowed grounds for many. The recent alleged thefts may not seem like much in terms of dollar value, but the losses are very personal for loved ones who visit those interred at EVC.

“It’s very sad,” Garcia said.

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