Stealing from the dead: Medical Examiner's investigator pleads to theft charge - BERITAJA

An interrogator successful L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office accused of stealing a golden crucifix from the cervix of a dormant man pleaded nary title to theft charges connected Friday, prosecutors said.

Adrian Munoz, 36, was responding to the decease of a storage worker successful South L.A. successful January 2023 erstwhile he snatched the portion of jewelry and hid it successful his aesculapian bag, according to a connection issued by the L.A. County territory attorney’s office. An investigation led to a hunt of Munoz’s desk, wherever detectives recovered “rare ancient coins” that belonged to a man whose decease Munoz investigated successful precocious 2022, prosecutors said.

“There is thing particularly appalling about stealing from the dead. During a clip erstwhile dignity and respect should beryllium absolute, Mr. Muñoz chose greed,” Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said successful a statement. “Today’s plea is simply a measurement toward justice, but it cannot undo the further trauma inflicted connected families who were already dealing pinch loss.”

Under the position of the plea, Munoz will service 180 days successful region jailhouse and walk 2 years connected probation, prosecutors said. He must besides salary restitution to the victims families and springiness up his correct to service arsenic a bid serviceman aliases decease interrogator successful California.

E-mails to the aesculapian examiner’s agency and Munoz’s lawyer seeking remark were not instantly returned.