Robbing the dead: Scrap-metal thieves picking apart cemeteries

WHO: Metal thieves

WHAT: Colma has reportedly suffered a dozen attacks by scrap-metal thieves in the past three months alone. The thefts target bronze, brass and other metal items on fences, graves and other memorials.

WHY THEY ARE DOING IT: Scrap-metal prices have shot up in recent years, sparking a wave of such crimes.

WHY IT’S A BAD IDEA: When you commemorate your loved one, you should have some reasonable hope that your memorial will last.

WHERE TO VENT: Colma police made their first arrests this week when two men were caught allegedly trying to steal the gates from a mausoleum.