Man arrested for stealing brass animal statues from cemetery, deputies say

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) – A Georgia man was arrested over the weekend for stealing at least four brass animal statues from a cemetery, according to officials.

The Hall County Sheriff’s Office said they determined Santiago Morales Villalobos, 24, was responsible for the thefts that happened back in August at Gainesville’s Memorial Park Cemetery.

On Saturday, deputies received a call about a stolen truck that was spotted in a neighborhood. When they arrived, they found Villalobos behind the wheel.

Deputies said Villalobos drove directly at one of the patrol vehicles, causing the deputy to swerve to avoid a collision. He then sped away.

Deputies found the truck in another subdivision and arrested Villalobos at a home in that neighborhood.

For Saturday’s incident, Villalobos has been charged with felony aggravated assault on a peace officer and several traffic violations. Additionally, he is facing charges for the stolen truck.

He is also facing charges related to the brass statues taken from the cemetery.

A second suspect in the cemetery statutes case, Abigail Magdalena Reyes, was arrested and charged Sept. 13. She is out on bond.