Hearse Stolen With Casket Inside

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/2...side-from-outside-southern-california-church/

"LOS ANGELES – A pastor's wife says a hearse was stolen from outside a Southern California church ahead of funeral services with a casket inside.

The Los Angeles Times reports Sunday (http://lat.ms/1H8pjVe ) that the hearse was idling outside Ebenezer Baptist Church in South Los Angeles while the funeral director arranged flowers for Saturday morning services for 19-year-old Jonté Lee Reed...."

Read more by clicking the link above.
 
We have some small town Police Depts. here in Pa. one car one cop per shift. Its lonely and risky to shut the car off but easy to have a situation such as this. The solution a switch on the dash flipped on the car remains running all systems on BUT the key can be turned off and removed thus locking the steering and shift leaver.
 
You NEVER NEVER leave the coach unattended when you have someone on board !

Or any car, for that matter. In some municipalities it's illegal to leave a car running unattended, it's INCREDIBLY stupid, and in many cases an unattended car that is running with the keys in the ignition is not going to be covered by insurance.
I can't imagine how distraught the young man's family would have been if his remains weren't recovered.
 
stolen hearse and casket

A few of the people attending the funeral chased down the hearse. the thief was said to have a mental problem. He was taken into custody. the funeral went on as planned. this according to news reports on Google.
 
Very True.....But the fact remains you NEVER leave a casket unattended no matter what. even at the grave site you do not leave that casket until its in the ground. #1 rule well maybe not #1 but its up there !! :)

Agree. That is the very first thing I thought of when I saw the story. The good thing is the deceased was returned with no harm. This situation could have been much worse if the coach had been wrecked during the joyride.
 
Need lists to say every bad thing that can happen has. Accidents during the profession to this. One slip up is all it takes. But if it were a daily accuracy we would not be discussing it. Strange we world we now live in
 
Probably twenty years ago I passed by an interesting traffic stop. PD car lit up and had a procar stopped. Driver of said procar was in hand cuffs and back of procar did have a casket in it.

Always wondered about that particular scene.....
 
One for the books

As long as were on the subject of "strange" stories/happenings check out this one from Sacramento in 1979...

This made national headlines and from what I hear is even talked about and discussed at mortuary schools.....

I was the person that helped her move the body and released it to Ms Greenlee from the hospital I worked at (Sutter Memorial)....
We had quite a conversation at the time,never ,ever thinking that she was planning on doing what she did.

I was qustioned several times at length as to what happened... from police to reporters to book authors.

MS Greenlee only recieved minimum jail time and a small fine since she was only charged with theft of a vehicle and its contents.....

***CAUTION*** Content of story/interview is graphic and contains STRONG language.

http://www.nokilli.com/sacto/karen-greenlee.htm
 
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Probably twenty years ago I passed by an interesting traffic stop. PD car lit up and had a procar stopped. Driver of said procar was in hand cuffs and back of procar did have a casket in it.

Always wondered about that particular scene.....

Was it a funeral home owned coach? Many hearse owners drive around with caskets in the back.
 
locking keys in the coach

One of the older funeral directors in our area was forever locking the keys in vehicles at cemeteries,the lock mechanism being on the door panel he would hit it while exiting the vehicle,the last lead car he had before he died was a brand new Cadillac,around 2000-2001,at the cemetery he told me he had locked the keys in the car at the cemetery,and while he led the clergyman to the grave side he asked me to go back and get the spare key he kept in the gas refill port on the car,guess what year Cadillac offered remote opening gas doors on their cars,, when I advised him of this he said get the J-bar from behind the seat in the coach and pry the #$^^thing off if I have too, now several companies have a panic switch in the grille that will unlock a drivers door,our ambulances had them.
 
One of the older funeral directors in our area was forever locking the keys in vehicles at cemeteries,the lock mechanism being on the door panel he would hit it while exiting the vehicle,the last lead car he had before he died was a brand new Cadillac,around 2000-2001,at the cemetery he told me he had locked the keys in the car at the cemetery,and while he led the clergyman to the grave side he asked me to go back and get the spare key he kept in the gas refill port on the car,guess what year Cadillac offered remote opening gas doors on their cars,, when I advised him of this he said get the J-bar from behind the seat in the coach and pry the #$^^thing off if I have too, now several companies have a panic switch in the grille that will unlock a drivers door,our ambulances had them.

Our 2010 Kingsley Cadiilac always locked by itself ! one of the very first gaveside services I did I was driving the coach I got out ...opened the rear door and we were taking the casket out, as we were walking away we heard the "CLICK" I turned to Shauna (FD) and smiled :) she almost went into panic mode afterwards I showed her the keys in my packet its just a habit that i take the keys with me when I leave the car lol she thought I was the best guy in the world right then ! lol

our 2011 Linclon lead car has push button start and it won't start without the key fob near by.......Shauna learned this the hard way......never take the key fob with you unless your going to drive it the next time ! she had driven the Lincoln to one of our other homes and took the key fob and left with her so when it came time to leave for the cemetery with the family ..... the coach went solo lol
 
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