A 37-year-old man is facing numerous charges after an urn containing the ashes of a baby girl was stolen from a mausoleum in Ancaster.
Hamilton Police Service say on Nov. 2, a male victim went to Resurrection Cemetery, at 254 Garner Rd. W., to visit his infant daughter, who had passed away in “recent months.”
They said upon entering the mausoleum, he found that the urn containing her ashes “had been stolen.”
Police said they reviewed CCTV footage from the cemetery and launched an “extensive” investigation.
The suspect, who investigators said was captured on camera committing the theft, was subsequently identified as 37-year-old as Kevin Wintonyk, of no fixed address.
Hamilton police said the suspect is known to them and has a history of similar cemetery-theft offences.
On Nov. 4, Wintonyk was located by police in Niagara Falls and was arrested without incident, they said.
Investigators said they also recovered the stolen urn as well as a number of other items believed to have been taken from other gravesites.
Wintonyk has been charged with one count each of indignity to human remains, break and enter to commit, possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000, and possession of property obtained by crime as well as two counts of fail to comply with probation.
These charges have not been tested in court.
The accused is currently in custody pending a bail hearing, police said.
The urn containing the baby’s remains have now been reunited with her family.
This investigation is ongoing and anyone who believes their loved one’s gravesite may have been targeted or anyone with information about similar incidents is asked to contact Hamilton police at 905-546-4772 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
