Illinois man gets 7 years for cemetery thefts

A man who took part in the theft of more than 100 bronze vases from a cemetery in Aurora and later tried to run over a sheriff's deputy has been sentenced to seven years in prison.

Vincent Teruel pleaded guilty to his role in the theft and to aggravated battery, The (Aurora) Beacon-News reported (http://bit.ly/1wAEDap ). The 36-year-old is from Sugar Grove, just to the west of Aurora.

Teruel and another man, who is on trial, are accused of stealing the vases from Lincoln Memorial Cemetery and selling them. The memorial vases are worth $500 each.

Witnesses identified the men and police began tracking them, including by placing a GPS device on Teruel's car.

While attempting to arrest him at a motel, Teruel tried to run over a deputy with his vehicle twice and then fled.

Officers later followed Teruel and his co-defendant to a Cook County cemetery in September 2013 and they were arrested while robbing graves there, according to Chicago police.