What was the thief thinking?
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: A 28-year-old man has been charged with brazenly stealing a hearse from outside a church while a funeral was underway.
Joe Brown of Buffalo, New York, told WIVB that he was among the pallbearers carrying his father’s casket out of St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday morning when the funeral director told them the hearse was gone, after which the family had to wait an extra 30 minutes at the church for another hearse to arrive.Follow @ambazaarmag
Police in North Tonawanda located the vehicle roughly two hours later, and Buffalo Police say they have arrested Michael Healing of Niagara Falls in connection with the theft, reported the Associated Press.
Healing stands charged with criminal possession of stolen property and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
“It’s disgusting,” said Brown, who can’t believe that the last memory he’ll have of his father’s farewell is one of disrespect, according to WIVB.
Those who passed by the church afterward could hardly believe the bizarre nature of the crime, according to WIVB.
“It’s just very unappreciated and disrespectful to the people that are experiencing the loss,” said Caitlyn McCoy, who’s visiting Buffalo from Indianapolis.
“It’s more baffling than anything else,” Jonathan Bullis told the local news station. “Why would someone want to take a hearse, something you would assume that if you found on Craigslist or Ebay, It’s pretty readily identifiable.”
The stolen hearse is now impounded by Buffalo Police for evidence.