Hearse with woman's body in back stolen from Pasadena church, deputies say

PASADENA, Calif. (KABC) -- The search continued Thursday for a mortuary's Lincoln Navigator with a woman's body in the back that was stolen from a church in Pasadena, sheriff's deputies say.

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were searching for the hearse, which was stolen from outside St. Anthony's Church on Rosemead Boulevard just after 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The sheriff's department tweeted out a plea for the suspect to return the vehicle, or at least the body inside:

"To the suspect(s) driving around in a Black Lincoln Navigator stolen from the 700 blk of Rosemead Bl just after 8PM today in uninc #Pasadena: Out of all the bad decisions you have made, at least make one good one & bring back the deceased person & casket inside the Navigator."

The vehicle's license plate number is 7ZDG618.

St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church was holding a prayer service called a Trisagion Wednesday evening, often held the night before a funeral in the Greek Orthodox tradition. A funeral was scheduled for the morning.

Officials, however, say the woman's body that was stolen was not associated with the service, but was in a mortuary vehicle that happened to be stopping by the church at the same time. The mortuary attendant was bringing a body inside the church, while another was in the vehicle that was left parked outside.

Initial reports said a body and casket were stolen, but sources later said the body was not in a casket but instead in a body bag.