Fingerprint on saw blade leads to arrest in Delaware County mausoleum door thefts

MARPLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. (WPVI) -- An arrest has been made in connection with the theft of mausoleum doors at a cemetery in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

The investigation began back on February 17, 2025, after bronze doors were stolen off two mausoleum doors at Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery, which is located on the 1600 block of S. Sproul Road in Springfield.

"One set of solid metal doors was removed from each of the Mausoleums, reported to be in excess of $30,000 each," Marple Township police stated in the criminal complaint.

MORE | Thieves steal mausoleum doors worth thousands from multiple cemeteries across region

Officers were able to lift a fingerprint from a saw blade at the scene, which ultimately led to the arrest of 37-year-old Michael Evangelist late last month.

He is currently being held in a Delaware prison. He is facing several theft charges in Pennsylvania and is awaiting extradition.

In addition to fingerprint evidence, officers also tracked Evangelist to the crime scene using cell phone records, according to the criminal complaint.

Police say he had been scrapping metal material consistent with mausoleum doors since December 2024. Authorities allege he scrapped the metal from the doors stolen in Springfield at Eastern Metal Recycling(EMR) in New Castle, Delaware. Police say images allegedly show Evangelist standing next to piles of metal that were positively identified as pieces of doors from Sts. Peter and Paul Cemetery.

There were similar crimes reported around the same time in other parts of Delaware County, along with Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery counties, however, Evangelist has not yet been charged in those thefts at this time.