Seguin PD seeks public's help in finding thief who stole veteran's footstone

SEGUIN, Texas – The Seguin Police Department is asking for your help in tracking down thieves who stole a veteran's bronze military footstone marker from a cemetery.

On Mother's Day, Paul Castilla and his brother made the trip to our Lady of Guadalupe Cemetery to put some flowers on their mother's grave. That's when they noticed the footstone on their father's grave was gone.

"We noticed the plaque was missing right away," Castilla said. "And I was thinking, ‘Who would do something like that? Being a veteran?’ Most people in America know not to mess with veterans or their belongings, and it was just really a shame that someone would stoop that low to do something like that."

Castilla's father, Ralph Paez Castilla, proudly served in the United States Army, and upon his death in 1998, he was provided the bronze military footstone marker to honor his service to the country.

"It really hurts our family because our father, we respected him and we loved him, and you hate to see something done to them like that at their cemetery," Castilla said.

The Seguin Police Department is reaching out to the community on Facebook in hopes of tracking down the person who stole from the veteran.

"Somebody who has protected and given us the right to do what we do and to steal from that person outraged this agency," said Deputy Police Chief Bruce Ure, with the Seguin Police Department. "And that's why we pushed it so hard on social media, because we want people to know about it and somebody has that information."

Ure said the footstone may be worth about $45 dollars in scrap metal, but that the value to the family is so much more.

"That's why we want this person, and we want to put it back in its rightful place for our veteran," Ure said.

If you know anything about this crime, you are asked to call Guadalupe County Crime Stoppers at 877-403-8477. There is up to a $500 cash reward for information leading to an arrest.


About the Author:

Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a.m. She joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter.