A preliminary hearing for a Hazleton man accused of stealing two historic bells from the Nesquehoning Historical Society and selling them for scrap earlier this month has been continued.

The hearing for Luis Ivan Ocasio, 35, on criminal charges, which include theft and institutional vandalism, was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and has been continued to June 27 at 10 a.m. before District Judge Beth Dodson.

The historical society promised to pack the courtroom to show their support for the prosecution in this theft, which was more than a theft of scrap metal in the eyes of the community.

“These bells were so much more than just bells,” the society wrote on its Facebook page. “When they committed this crime they stole our heritage.”

Ocasio allegedly took the two bells in a broad daylight theft on April 2 and sold them for $5,575.33 to a scrapyard in Hazleton. The owner of the business is cooperating with police, the affidavit states, however he reported that the bells had been broken down by the time police contacted his business.

The two brass bells included an over 200-year-old bell weighing approximately 1,400 pounds, while the other was over 100 years old and approximately 200 pounds.

The investigation remains open at this time.