NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. -- A husband and wife are accused of stealing decorative vases made of metal from a cemetery in Portsmouth Township.

Bay County sheriff’s deputies arrested a 53-year-old Saginaw County man and his wife in what authorities said was the theft of more than $20,000 worth of metal vases between mid-May and the beginning of June.

The pair was captured in Newaygo County and are believed to be behind the larceny of several boat motors.

The theft of the Floral Garden’s cemetery vases made news in late May as metal thieves ramped up their pilfering of catalytic converters, copper, steel and any other metal they could get cash for at scrap yards.

Michigan State Police, along with several local law enforcement agencies, have been working for months on tracking down those responsible for metal theft.