LAWRENCE (CBS) – Police in Lawrence are searching for a suspect who’s been preying on people at a cemetery.

They say in two instances in the past week, someone has stolen purses from people’s cars while they visit grave-sites of loved ones at the St Mary’s Immaculate Conception Cemetery.

WBZ NewsRadio 1030′s Carl Stevens reports

Chief John Romero says people come to the cemetery to focus on honoring their loved ones, and while they are tending to their graves, someone has broken into their cars.

“You wouldn’t think that there would be people who would stoop to something as terrible as that, but there are people who make a career of it,” says Chief Romero. “It’s unfortunate.”

In one case, two sisters locked the doors of their car and put their purses in the trunk. The thief was able to get into the window and open the trunk. They lost hundreds of dollars, as well as their credit cards, glasses, cell phones and other belongings.

Chief Romero has increased patrols at the cemetery as part of the investigation. He had a similar situation a couple of years ago, and after launching an investigation made an arrest.

The cemetery director said he is not able to comment on the case and directed requests to the Archdiocese of Boston.