Family Chases Down Man Accused Of Stealing Hearse With Their Loved One Still Inside

Not the hearse in question. (Renee Rendler-Kaplan)

Every time we hear of a consumer performing a low down and dirty act against another, we think there must be a limit to what people will do to score something for free. But it appears there are no boundaries to the madness inflicted by greed, as one family had to chase down a runaway hearse with their loved one resting inside in a casket after someone decided to drive off with it.

A family in South Los Angeles went after a man suspected of stealing a hearse while the funeral director was preparing services for a 19-year-old man, reported the L.A. Times.

Preparations for the man’s final sendoff were underway, with the hearse idling outside the church while the director was busy inside arranging flowers, the pastor’s wife explained.

When it was time to bring the casket in, the funeral director noticed there was a big part of the service missing — the hearse, with the casket inside. He raised the alarm, calling friends to help find the car.

At the same time, family members on their way to the funeral were contacted about the theft, and happened to see a hearse driving toward them a few blocks from the church. So they forced the driver to pull over and allegedly had a few words with him.

Police arrived on the scene and arrested the man, reportedly charging him with auto theft. The funeral went off without a hitch, the pastor’s wife told the L.A. Times, and the body didn’t appear to have been mussed up during the chase.

“Even with all of that occurring, the service for this gentleman was only 30 minutes late and it was nice,” she said, adding that no one at the church could remember something like this ever happening before.

Family chases down man who stole hearse with relative’s casket inside [Los Angeles Times]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist