Drunken Theft: Las Vegas Woman Allegedly Steals Casket with Body Inside
In an unusual and disturbing incident, a Las Vegas woman has been accused of stealing a $2,600 casket from a funeral home, with a body still inside. Patricia Sierra, 47, admitted to police that she “blacked out from drinking six beers.”
According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) arrest report obtained by USA TODAY, Sierra allegedly broke into the Affordable Cremation & Burial Service funeral home on August 27. She reportedly smashed the front window and reached through to unlock the door before taking the casket out the front door.
The LVMPD received a call about a suspicious person lying face down in front of the funeral home, along with a report of a casket outside the business. Upon arrival, officers found a door with broken glass and the casket sitting on a cart on the sidewalk near the funeral home.
Gruesome discovery
The arrest report details the officers’ discovery of a body that had been in the casket. It had arrived at the funeral home seven days earlier, and was found face down on rocks near the front of the property, with its feet covered in plastic bags.
Officers found flower petals inside the otherwise untouched viewing room, except for the broken glass and door.
Surveillance footage reviewed by the police showed a woman breaking into the funeral home and coming and going multiple times. The video also captured a red BMX bicycle at the scene.
A construction worker at the scene approached police, claiming he saw a woman matching the suspect’s description, holding flowers and sitting on one of the funeral home’s exterior walls on the day of the incident.
Identification and arrest
The Affordable Cremation & Burial Service declined to comment when contacted by The Independent. Sierra was identified following a call on August 29 about a suspicious person at a 7-Eleven. The caller claimed to have spotted the suspected casket thief wearing the same clothing from the day of the incident.
Sierra was located and detained under reasonable suspicion of stealing the casket. When confronted with the surveillance footage and evidence processed for DNA and fingerprints, she reportedly claimed that she often “blacks out” due to a substance abuse problem. Sierra was charged with burglary of a business, grand larceny, and the removal, transfer, and distribution of human remains. Her bail was set at $11,000, according to the New York Post.
Police claim Sierra admitted to using a red BMX bike for transportation and described using a rock to break windows as her common method for burglarizing businesses. The documents describe her as apologetic, explaining that she was actively spiteful in her alleged actions and did not intend to steal the casket. Sierra’s blackout after drinking the beers reportedly caused her to forget committing the crimes.
