Grave robbers have stolen body parts from a corpse in a crypt of a private family mausoleum in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

The perpetrators got into Crown Hill Cemetery, made their way to the mausoleum, and forced open both the crypt and a casket, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said. The break-in occurred Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Deputies found severe damage to the front of the crypt and damage to the pried-open casket. Portions of the body inside the casket had been removed, law enforcement said.

Of the three crypts in the mausoleum, only the center one was damaged, with total damages coming out to $30,000, JCSO Public Information Officer Jacki Kelley told the Los Angeles Times.

If the suspects are caught, they could face felony charges of criminal mischief, abuse of a corpse and third-degree burglary, Ms. Kelley told the LA Times.

The mausoleum and the remains inside date to the early 20th century, and authorities are working to identify and notify the next of kin of the person whose casket was disturbed.

“It’s so disturbing that someone would take the steps to unearth, someone who has been laid to rest and to do anything to harm the body of somebody who’s gone, and how devastating these can be for families,” Ms. Kelley told KUSA-TV.

Cemetery operators Olinger Crown Hill concurred, telling KUSA-TV that it is “deeply disturbing that someone would desecrate a final resting place.”

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.