Woman accused of stealing mortuary van with corpse inside from Texas hospital

Police in Fort Worth, Texas, have arrested a woman who allegedly stole a mortuary van with a body inside.

Police have identified the woman as 36-year-old Valerie Traglor-Ellis of Azle.

The Fort Worth Police Department said they were called to John Peter Smith Hospital, located at 1500 South Main, about a stolen car around 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police said when officers arrived, they learned that the incident began when an employee of a mortuary service arrived at the hospital with a transport van to get a body from the hospital.

The driver for the mortuary left the vehicle, which already had the body of another person inside, and went into the hospital.

While the driver of the van was in the hospital, police say, the suspect went into the van and drove away from the parking lot.

Police said they found the stolen corpse and the vehicle in the 2600 block of Park Place Avenue, about two miles from the original scene.

Police found the suspect a short time later and arrested her. Traglor-Ellis was charged with auto theft and abuse of a corpse.

The vehicle and the deceased person being transported were released to the driver of the mortuary service.

Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change.