Shortly before noon today, some people showed up at the Mt. Rest Cemetery in Bergen and visited a gravesite.
Work crews didn't think much about it -- a pretty normal occurrence in a cemetery -- until they saw shovels.
By the time they could notify their supervisor, the group had left and there was a freshly covered hole in front of one of the graves.
Apparently, the people buried an urn of ashes at a family plot.
Under appropriate circumstances, that's perfectly acceptable, said cemetery supervisor Joe MacConnell. However in this case, Deputy Brad Mazur was dispatched to the scene.
"We just need some documentation," MacConnell said. "Every cemetery is willing to work with families, but the state has regulations."
As of this afternoon, Mazur was trying to contact the family -- The Batavian agreed not to release the family name on the headstone -- in order to clear up the matter. He didn't anticipate any criminal charges.
If Mazur hasn't located the family yet, the family can contact him through the Sheriff's Office at (585) 345-3000.
