Police in Riverside, California arrested a man they say stole two vans from an area mortuary. According to the authorities, the first one was returned after the alleged thief spotted a dead body in the back.


Police in Riverside, California arrested a man they say stole two vans from an area mortuary, reports the Los Angeles Times. 
According to the authorities, the first one was returned after the alleged thief spotted a dead body in the back. 
The situation began to unfold in the early hours of Sunday. 
A mortuary employee had just picked up the deceased and left the van – keys and all – in front of the business while he ran inside to grab some paperwork, notes the Press-Enterprise. 
Police allege that Bobby Joe Washington took that vehicle, but, upon noticing the corpse, headed back and swapped vehicles. 
Authorities caught up with Washington after a roughly 10-minute chase and arrested him, notes the New York Post. 
He is facing charges related to the thefts of the vans, evading capture, and assault with a deadly weapon, as, during his attempted escape, he tried to run someone over. 
Authorities believe the taking of the body was unintentional.