LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — Law enforcement officers with decades of experience are saying it’s something they’ve never seen before: Someone took human remains from the graves of several people in a Mount Dora cemetery.  Detectives believe that whoever did it was likely performing some sort of ritual.

Emma Boothe said while she and mom were driving by Edgewood Cemetery on Sunday, they noticed something didn’t look right.

“We noticed a vault leaned up against a tree,” said Boothe.

When Boothe stopped and looked further, she saw something that will haunt her forever.

“There was a body exposed,” said Boothe. “There was no vault, no top of the coffin, anything.”

Investigators say sometime Saturday night into Sunday, someone cracked open the vaults of at least four graves and took human remains from each of them.

“I mean, what if I wouldn’t have seen it and the families showed up to pay their respects and I mean, that was something they saw,” said Boothe. “That’s horrible and nobody should have to go through that.”

Detectives with the Lake County Sheriff’s office say evidence left at the graves shows the people responsible were likely performing some sort of ritual.

“I’ve been here for 24 years and I’ve never seen anything like this," said Lt. John Herrell. "It’s weird, it’s bizarre, obviously it’s unsettling.

“And you’re heart breaks for the loved ones of the people placed here.”

It took crews much of the day on Monday to replace the lids of the grave vaults that were removed or damaged.  Deputies say the extent of the damage alone shows several people were involved.

Boothe said just making the gruesome discovery was disturbing.

“I don’t think I slept at all last night,” she said. “It’s horrible, it’s disgusting really, what possesses somebody to do something like that.”

She couldn't imagine what it’s like for the families involved.

“It’s horrible, I mean, let the families grieve,” said Boothe. “Why put them through that again.  Now they’re going to have to go through the whole process again and I, I couldn’t imagine.”

Throughout the day on Monday families came to the cemetery to check to see if they’re loved one’s graves were among those vandalized here. The grounds keeper at the cemetery says he’s in the process of contacting families affected.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area of Edgewood Cemetery over the weekend to call the Lake County Sheriff’s Office at 352-343-2101.