Pittsburgh police have arrested a Carrick man who they say stole 68 bronze vases worth $12,200 from a West End cemetery and sold them for far less to scrap yards during a five-week spree.

Police on Monday charged David Getz, 22, after two Castriota Metals & Recycling locations checked their records and told police they found receipts signed by the suspect indicating he had sold them the vases on three separate occasions this month.

The scrap yards paid out $683.30 to Mr. Getz, according to their records.

Mr. Getz, a grocery store stock boy, is charged with institutional vandalism and three counts each of theft by deception and receiving stolen property.

He was arraigned Tuesday and faces a preliminary hearing next Thursday in City Court.

Mr. Getz is being held on $9,000 bond.

The vases, large cylindrical containers that weigh around 10 pounds each, are worth $200 each. The scrap yards paid between $9 and $10 each for them.

A manager at Hollywood Memorial Park in Windgap first reported the vases missing on Good Friday. In a criminal complaint, police said Mr. Getz committed the crimes between Feb. 15 and Friday.

Three other cemeteries around the city, including South Side Cemetery and Allegheny Cemetery, also have reported missing vases.

Detective James Glick, who is handling the investigation, put the total number of vases stolen at about 200.