A thief arrested for stealing a casket containing a body from a Las Vegas funeral home said he didn't remember anything because he “drank six beers and passed out,” according to an arrest report.
Patricia Sierra, 47, is charged with burglary, grand larceny and criminal damage to a corpse in connection with the Aug. 27 incident, which was captured on surveillance camera. KLAS reported.
Las Vegas Police received a call around 3 a.m. reporting a body lying face-down in front of the Affordable Cremation and Burial Services funeral home and a casket left on a nearby sidewalk.
According to the arrest report, officers found the body lying face-down on a rock near the sidewalk at the front of the property, with a plastic bag covering the feet. Obtained by USA TODAY.
The body arrived at the funeral home on August 20th, and was identified at the morgue on August 26th, the day before the shocking theft.
Police quickly reviewed surveillance footage, which showed a woman, later identified as Sierra, smashing a front window, reaching through it and unlocking the door to gain entry into the store, according to the report.
The video shows her entering the morgue, dragging the coffin out the front door, and going in and out of the funeral home multiple times before leaving.
Police arrested Sierra two days later after someone recognized him at a nearby convenience store.
While speaking with officers, Sierra reportedly said he “didn't mean any harm” and was apologetic about the incident, blaming it on substance abuse which caused him to frequently “black out,” according to the report.
Detectives who questioned Sierra later showed him security camera footage of the robbery, but Sierra told police he didn't remember committing the crime and “just drank six beers and passed out,” USA Today reported.
A judge set bail at $11,000. Sierra remained in custody as of Wednesday.
“Because the investigation is ongoing we cannot comment, but we can say that an individual was arrested after attempting to break into our facility,” a representative for Affordable Cremation and Barrier Services said.
