A Mountain Home man has been arrested in connection with the theft of brass vases from military graves at Galatia Cemetery near Norfork, according to Baxter County Sheriff John F. Montgomery.
David Sutterfield Jr., 50, was taken into custody and booked at the Baxter County Detention Center on multiple felony charges, including desecration of burial grounds or burial furniture, defacing or damaging a public building or object of public respect, theft by receiving, and first-degree criminal mischief. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass and an enhanced penalty as a habitual offender.
The Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation after receiving a report on Sept. 7 concerning the missing vases. The items, which had been taken from headstones at the cemetery located on Highway 5 South, were collectively valued at around $10,000.
The following day, authorities contacted a local recycling center and discovered that brass vases matching the description had been brought in for scrap. Center personnel confirmed that the vases had been cut into pieces before being dropped off. According to records from the facility, Sutterfield brought the materials to the center and was paid $130.
Sutterfield remains in custody at the detention center with bond set at $15,000. He is scheduled to appear in Baxter County Circuit Court on Oct. 12.
Records show Sutterfield has been booked into the Baxter County Detention Center at least 13 times since 2016 on a range of felony and misdemeanor charges.