Earlier this year, mausoleum doors in Forest Park cemeteries were stolen four times in July and August. And in August, the Forest Park Police Department located John Kozeluh, 49, and Lana Grey, 38, of Westchester and took them into custody. They were charged with 15 felonies in Forest Park and got an additional 28 felony charges and two misdemeanor charges in LaGrange, Hillside and Justice.
Forest Park Police Chief Dan Pater recognized two of the department’s officers, Det. Sgt. Adam Stasinopoulos and Det. Tom Cannon, who led the mausoleum door investigation at the Nov. 9 council meeting.
“I firmly believe that if it wasn’t for Detective Sergeant Stasinopoulos and Detective Cannon leading this investigation, none of the [charges from] police departments that were involved in this multi-jurisdictional investigation would have happened,” Pater said. “The Forest Park Police Department investigators demonstrated exceptional investigative skills, initiative and interagency collaboration while investigating a series of mausoleum door thefts occurring at multiple cemeteries throughout Forest Park and surrounding communities.”
“Detective Sergeant Stasinopoulos and Detective Cannon’s persistence, professionalism, and ability to coordinate a complex, multi-jurisdictional investigation were instrumental in identifying those responsible, recovering stolen property, and developing evidence to support criminal charges,” Pater added…