SAN ANTONIO -- Dozens of families visiting Mission Park South cemetery on Sunday were shocked to find bronze vase memorials missing from grave sites, family members said.

Around 30 vases were stolen overnight from the cemetery, each one worth more than $300.

Peggy Legate said the crooks must have had a large truck and a lot of time to unscrew each vase.

The thieves even took the time to place flowers back in the empty hole they left behind, Legate said.

"I think it's a disgrace," Legate said. "People say they're stealing from the dead and they're not. They're stealing from the living."

The funeral home is planning to spend more than $30,000 to replace the stolen vases.

Legate said it's hard to combat these type of thefts because the cemetery has no surveillance cameras.