Woman accused of stealing casket with body inside won’t serve prison time

A woman accused of stealing a casket with a body inside from a Las Vegas funeral home has received a sentence that will allow her to avoid prison time.

The Metropolitan Police Department has alleged that Patricia Sierra, 47, broke into a funeral home at 2127 W. Charleston Blvd. on Aug. 27 and took the body of Maria Ramirez, a woman who had died on Aug. 13 and for whom a viewing had been held the day before the burglary.

Affordable Cremation &Burial Service is located at that address.

Prosecutors listed the business in a criminal complaint as Lover of Family Affordable Cremation.

Sierra pleaded guilty to a count of burglary of a business on Sept. 24 in a deal that specified prosecutors would dismiss other counts, would agree to a suspended 12- to 30-month sentence and would not oppose probation with a condition that Sierra participate in adult drug court.

District Judge Tara Clark Newberry followed those terms at Sierra’s Dec. 5 sentencing, court records show.

As a condition of drug court, she cannot possess or use drugs or alcohol.

Sierra previously faced additional counts of grand larceny and removing, transferring or disturbing human remains.

Police said was “apologetic,” but told them she was blacked out from drinking six beers and could not remember why she took the casket.

Ramirez’s body was discovered by Marcus Kelly, a security guard who was driving by the business when he noticed a casket in the street, according to Sierra’s arrest report.

He stopped to see if the business had been burglarized and as he approached, he found Ramirez lying in the landscaping and called police, Metro said.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.