The investigator accused of stealing a gold crucifix from the neck of a dead man at the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s Office pleaded no contest to theft charges Friday, prosecutors said.
Adrian Munoz, 36, was responding to the death of a warehouse worker in South LA in January 2023 when he snatched the piece of jewelry and hid it in his medical bag, according to a statement released by the LA County District Attorney’s office. An investigation followed a search of Munoz’s desk, where detectives found “rare ancient coins” that belonged to a man whose death Munoz investigated in late 2022, prosecutors said.
“Stealing from the dead is particularly appalling. At a time when dignity and respect should be absolute, Mr. Munoz chose greed,” Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Today’s plea is a step toward justice, but it cannot mitigate the additional trauma inflicted on families who were already struggling with loss.”
Under the terms of the plea, Munoz must serve 180 days in the county jail and spend two years on probation, prosecutors said. He also must pay restitution to the victims’ families and give up his right to serve as a peace officer or coroner in California.
Emails seeking comment to the medical examiner’s office and Munoz’s attorney were not immediately returned.
