Stratford police say 17 urns were stolen from a cemetery after a funeral vault was forced open, and police believe they may have been melted down and resold as scrap metal. 

Police received a 911 call around 7:30 a.m. yesterday saying that a burial vault at Union Cemetery on Main Street had been broken into, and many of the urns containing human remains inside it had been stolen. 

Police say the vault was smashed open and at some point charred, possibly with an explosive device.

Family members said losing the urns feels like losing their loved ones all over again.

"I really don't want to get carried away thinking about it much because it really will make me crazy," said Bernie Radziwilko, who lost his longtime girlfriend six months ago. 

Some are offering rewards for the stolen urns.

Investigators are trying to figure out exactly what happened, and they hope to be aided by surveillance video. Nobody from the cemetery was available for comment today. 

Anyone with information is asked to contact Stratford police.