A 45-year-old man has been charged in the theft of 18 memorial plaques taken in July from the Griesbach neighbourhood of Edmonton.

The man was arrested Tuesday and charged with possession of stolen property over $5,000 and fraud under $5,000.

The plaques, which honoured some of Canada's most decorated soldiers and most famous battles, went missing in late July.

The stolen plaques, placed on cement-and-brick stands at the end of each street, told the stories of the soldiers or battles for which the street was named.

Griesbach is the site of a former Canadian Forces base.

The plaques were quickly recovered when a local scrap metal dealer recognized them. They were too damaged to be reused.

Police said the plaques had been cut up and hammered to make them look like scrap metal.

The city is working with the community to replace the plaques.