In an unsettling turn of events, a Los Angeles coroner has found himself embroiled in controversy after being accused of pilfering from the deceased over a period of at least a year. Adrian Muñoz, 36, has chosen to enter a plea of no contest to serious charges, including one felony count of grand theft and one misdemeanor count of petty theft, as confirmed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
By opting for a no contest plea, Muñoz does not admit to the allegations directly. However, this decision implies acceptance of the legal consequences akin to a guilty verdict, foregoing the right to a trial. This plea often serves as a strategic move in the judicial process, allowing defendants to avoid the uncertainties of court proceedings while still facing sentencing.
The investigation that led to these charges unveiled damning evidence captured on January 6, 2023. Surveillance footage showed Muñoz during his professional duties, removing a gold crucifix necklace from the neck of a deceased individual. This incident occurred while he was examining the scene of a warehouse worker who had succumbed to a heart attack while on duty.
Prosecutors highlighted that the footage clearly depicted Muñoz taking the crucifix and placing it into his medical bag, with no subsequent documentation or return of the item noted on the official property receipt. This breach of trust and professional ethics has now culminated in legal repercussions for Muñoz, casting a shadow over the integrity of his professional conduct.
Muñoz was responding to an investigation of a warehouse worker who died of a heart attack on the job.
The footage revealed that Muñoz placed the crucifix in his medical bag but never returned it or documented it on the property receipt, prosecutors said.
Authorities then searched Muñoz’s desk and discovered rare antique coins. The receipt for the coins matched the name of a man who died on November 12, 2022.
Prosecutors discovered that Muñoz had also handled that man’s death investigation.
A coroner with the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office, pictured above, has pleaded no contest after he was accused of stealing valuables from the dead
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, pictured above, said Muñoz ‘chose greed’ in a scathing statement
‘There is something especially appalling about stealing from the dead. During a time when dignity and respect should be absolute, Mr. Muñoz chose greed,’ Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a statement.
He added that the plea was ‘a step toward justice, but it cannot undo the additional trauma inflicted on families who were already dealing with loss.’
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office was closed when reached for comment due to staffing shortages.
The warehouse worker was previously identified by his family as Miguel Solorio. They told the Los Angeles Times in 2023 that he had worn the necklace for decades.
His daughter-in-law, Rosalba Solorio, told the publication at the time that her family asked authorities after his death what had happened to the necklace.
They were later given one that was not Solorio’s and reported it, which led to the discovery.
Rosalba told the Times that her family was devastated after her father-in-law’s sudden death.
‘Finding out what happened with the chain was insult to injury,’ she said at the time. ‘Somebody who should be helping the family did this, and it’s just unexplainable.’
Muñoz started working at the medical examiner’s office, pictured above, in 2018 and was making a yearly salary of $92,615 when he was suspended in 2023
Authorities said at a 2023 press conference that Muñoz had been suspended from his role at the medical examiner’s office.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr Odey Ukpo said he was ‘very disappointed.’ ‘We rely on the trust of the community,’ he added. ‘Certainly, this will have shaken that trust.’
According to LA County employee records, Muñoz had started at the medical examiner’s office in 2018.
Before his suspension in 2023, Muñoz was making $92,615 a year. His base earnings were $0 in 2024, according to public records.
Muñoz will be sentenced at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center on June 5. He is expected to receive two years of probation, 180 days in Los Angeles County jail and was forced to resign from the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
Muñoz has also been ordered to pay restitution to the families of the victims he was accused of stealing from.
