ANDERSON, S.C. -- Deputies said thieves stole 245 bronze vases from gravesites at an Anderson County cemetery late Wednesday night.

The thefts happened at the Forest Lawn Cemetery on Highway 29 North.

Some people who have family buried at the cemetery showed up Thursday to check their relatives' graves.

Janet Tant said her mother’s bronze vase is still there, but the chain is missing. Deputies said that could mean the thieves plan to come back and steal it later.

Billy Nixon, who also has relatives buried in the cemetery, said the same thing happened last year. He said the robbers stole less than 100 vases that time.

“For somebody to stoop that low, that’s pretty bad,” Nixon said.

Deputies said something similar happened in Greenville County at the Woodlawn Cemetery. They two counties are working together to determine if the incidents might be connected.

Deputies said they are also searching local scarp yards in an effort to find the missing vases valued at $50,000.