Robert Williams, 46, of 600 County Road 232 in Valley Grande, confessed to the theft of the vases, worth an estimated $5,610 combined, after he was taken into custody.

Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman, Jr. said Williams, a parolee with an extensive theft record, stole the vases from a cemetery that wished to remain anonymous sometime between 6 p.m. Tuesday and 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The 17 bronze flower vases were recovered from an area scrap yard after authorities were notified of their possible location, Huffman said. After recovering the vases, authorities found out who sold them and made an arrest.

“The scrap metal law has changed dramatically over the last several years, as a matter of fact it changed again within the last month, and it really benefits us in law enforcement with the investigations,” Huffman said. “In some cases, such as this one, it means that we can recover the items before they are destroyed or crushed.”

Huffman said the scrap yard employees had set the vases off to the side because they were weary of them to start with, which helped with the Sheriff’s Department’s investigation.

“Investigators and deputies did a good job,” Huffman said. “We’ve got concerned citizens that are getting involved, and we don’t need their names or anything, just where the stuff is going.”

Following the completion of the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department’s investigation, the vases will be returned to the area cemetery.

As of mid-day Thursday, Williams was in the Dallas County Jail with a $30,000 bond.