Mortuary driver suspected of stealing ring from body of woman who died in Riverside

Riverside Police Department detectives arrested a mortuary transport employee Tuesday, Dec. 1, on suspicion of stealing a ring regarded as a family treasure and worth several thousand dollars from a dead woman’s hand.

Mark Anthony Zuniga, 27, of Downey, was booked on suspicion of one felony count of removing articles from a dead body, Riverside police said in a news release. Investigators believe he lifted the jewelry from the body of an elderly woman who died at a hospital in Riverside on Sept. 24.

Zuniga was assigned to take the woman’s body from the hospital to a mortuary facility in Orange County, police said. Days later, the victim’s relatives reported that her ring was missing.

Detectives learned the stolen property was sold to a pawn shop in Los Angeles County, and identified Zuniga as a suspect. He was taken into custody Tuesday, and has since been released due to the non-violent nature of the crime he is suspected of. He has also “been relieved of his transportation duties,” police said.

Zuniga is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 23.

“Detectives were able to return the stolen ring back to the decedent’s family this afternoon, who expressed their gratitude for the thorough investigative work that led to this arrest and return of a family treasure,” the news release said.

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