Coroner Investigator Accused of Stealing From the Dead

An investigator with the medical examiner's office in Los Angeles County has been charged with stealing items from the dead, reports USA Today. Adrian Munoz, 34, first came under suspicion when the family of a man who suffered a fatal heart attack on the job asked about his missing necklace, per the Los Angeles Times. An examination of surveillance video shows that Munoz "removed a gold crucifix necklace from the deceased man's neck and placed it in his medical bag," per a news release from the county district attorney's office. Munoz never logged the item or returned it. The video also shows him taking money from the man's pocket.

Investigators then searched Munoz's desk and found antique coins that belonged to another man whose death he had investigated, say authorities. "He's been involved in many cases," said deputy district attorney Kristopher Kay. "How many potential victims there could be I can't say." Munoz, who had been on the job since 2018, is charged with one felony count of grand theft and one misdemeanor count of petty theft. "It's a profound betrayal of the very essence of the role and the solemn duty owed to both the deceased and their bereaved families," said county District Attorney George Gascon in a statement. (More Los Angeles County stories.)