LA DA George Gascón Charges A Medical Examiner For Allegedly Stealing Jewelry From Dead People

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón has charged a county medical examiner investigator for allegedly stealing jewelry from a dead person.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Gascón announced one count of grand theft of property and one misdemeanor count of petty theft of property against Adrian Muñoz.

The district attorney's office accused Muñoz of allegedly stealing a gold crucifix necklace from a person who died in South L.A.

Prosecutors say surveillance footage captured Muñoz placing the jewelry inside his medical bag. A statement from the DA's office said he did not return the item or document it in the property receipt.

The family of the dead man filed a report with the sheriff's department when they didn't get the necklace back, according to Handling Deputy District Attorney Kristopher Gay.

Muñoz is also accused of taking rare antique coins from another deceased man. Gascón said investigators found rare antique coins and a receipt with the name of the dead man in Muñoz's desk.

Medical examiners are tasked with determining the cause of death for people who have not been seen by a physician 20 days prior to death.

"Protecting the sanctity of this process is trusted upon us, public servants, to make sure we're serving the public," Gascón said. "When that trust is violated, it erodes the credibility of our entire system."

Muñoz was suspended on Tuesday, pending the ongoing investigation. He had been employed with the county medical examiner's office since 2018.

LAist has reached out to Munoz's attorney for comment and has not heard back. His arraignment will be announced at a later date. He faces up to three years in county jail if convicted.