SACO — Police are asking the public’s help in locating the thief who has been stealing wreaths from Laurel Hill Cemetery.

Deputy Police Chief Jeffrey Holland said police were notified last week about wreaths missing from grave sites at the cemetery.

Holland said about $800 worth of wreaths and Christmas decorations have been reported stolen.

A family member of someone buried in the cemetery hid a game camera, and posted a video online in which a short-haired woman appears to get out of a black Ford explorer and steal a wreath from a grave site. The video can be found on the police department’s Facebook page.

The crime is a misdemeanor, said Holland, but the thought of stealing from a grave site has many people, including those at the police department, feeling “disgusted.”

Holland said the crime has “struck a chord” with many community members, who have written comments on Facebook or called police to voice their distaste for the theft.

“I think it’s pretty low,” said Laurel Hill Cemetery Superintendent Paul Tate.

He said there have been cases of flowers stolen from grave sites in the past, but it’s been sporadic, “not 15 wreaths in one day.”

Anyone with information about the theft is encouraged to call the Saco Police Department at 284-4535.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.