Birmingham, AL - While responding to a call Monday, Birmingham police stumbled upon a spooky discovery in Ensley. Police found 33 stolen headstones sitting in a man's yard. They stand about 2ft to 4ft tall and range from the 1800's to 2007. They may have come from Oakland Cemetery, which is only a few blocks down the street, but that has not been confirmed.
The 51 year-old suspect has been taken into custody for questioning. Neighbors say he's a homeless man who been living in a shack on the empty lot for the past 10 years. They say the man is reserved and quiet, but apparently clever. They believe he used shopping carts to transport the headstones at night.
"He just brings them in and out. I guess it's one of his ways of surviving," says Carl Grant Sr. neighbor.
"The house is all junky. It's kind of spooky and kind of scary," says Demetrious Simons, neighbor.
Neighbors say they started noticing the collection of grave markers three months ago.
Officials are assessing the man's mental state but he could face theft charges.
In the meantime, police have taken the headstones as evidence. They're trying to find which cemetery they came from.
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