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Human Skeletal Remains Missing From 2nd Worcester Mausoleum

WORCESTER (CBS) -- After police arrested a Connecticut man who allegedly stole human skeletal remains from a Worcester cemetery, investigators say more remains appear to be missing from a second mausoleum at the same location.

Amador Medina
Amador Medina (WBZ-TV)

Police say Amador Medina, of Hartford, stole the human remains of five bodies from the Houghton Mausoleum at Hope Cemetery. He is facing several charges following the discovery of the missing remains of three adults and two young children.

Stolen Bones
Amador Medina appears in court on Dec. 7. (WBZ-TV)

Medina waived extradition Monday during a court appearance in Hartford. He also appeared in a Worcester courtroom, and a judge ordered him held on $100,000 bail.

Related: Man Charged With Stealing Bones From Worcester Cemetery Held

While conducting a citywide investigation of all cemeteries to make sure they hadn't been broken into, investigators say three more human skeletal remains may have gone missing from another mausoleum at Hope Cemetery.

Police won't identify the family name of the second mausoleum until potential surviving relatives have been contacted.

Investigators say they have nearly completed all checks of city cemeteries, with no additional break-ins to report.

In a statement released Wednesday, Worcester Police Chief Gary Gemme said "We did not want to compromise the investigation by the public release of information regarding the original break and theft that occurred at Hope Cemetery. Our initial concern was that wide-spread media attention would potentially inhibit our opportunity to recover the remains of the deceased."

Police believe more than one person was involved in the break-ins and thefts. They say the locks to Houghton Mausoleum were cut in May, but the theft didn't happen until September.

Both mausoleum break-ins were barely noticeable, police said.

There appears to be people in the area who are actively seeking human remains for religious or other purposes, police say.

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