Man accused of stealing hearse with body inside arrested
The man who stole a hearse — and its deceased passenger — from Grady Memorial Hospital on Sunday morning has been apprehended, police said.
The hearse belonging to Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home was taken from the hospital, located at 80 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive, at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Atlanta police spokesman Officer Ralph Woolfolk said. After driving through a fence near the hospital’s morgue entrance, the suspect deserted the heavily damaged hearse a few blocks away near the intersection of Auburn and Piedmont avenues.
The man, whose identity has not been released, then “forced an individual out of a gold Ford Explorer” and drove off, Woolfolk said.
Specific details were not released but, just after 4 p.m., police reported that both vehicles were recovered and the suspect had been arrested.
“No further information to release at this time,” Woolfolk said.
Messages left Sunday with Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home were not returned.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
