"You don't do that to a hearse": Thieves blasted over despicable act
<p dir="ltr">A funeral home has been the subject of an unusual robbery after thieves stripped the wheels of a hearse - and its owner has a message to share with those responsible.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Arriving at work on Sunday at Te Awahou Funeral Services in Foxton, New Zealand, owner Jayden Moore discovered that one of his hearses was missing its two rear wheels.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"In between Saturday and Sunday, we had boy racers out past the funeral home doing skids – obviously we don't know if it was them, but putting two and two together we can imagine they've needed wheels for their car,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The hearse had been sitting out, ready to be used for a service that morning, with Mr Moore telling the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/thieves-steal-wheels-from-hearse-at-foxtons-te-awahou-funeral-home/52LRSJUVM4GLPSVRE7D5ABRBSM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald </a></em>that he had to run around to find an alternative.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"We came into work to do a service for a family and we've had to run around and find a new [hearse] - we have two but they're set up for different reasons,” he told the outlet.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In a message for the thieves, Mr Moore urged them to consider the implications of their actions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"You've not ripped me off, you've ripped these loved ones off," he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Moore told the <em>Herald</em> that his staff and the local community had been left fuming at the theft.</p>
<p dir="ltr">"Everyone is a bit p***ed off, you don't do that to a hearse – these a***holes don't know or don't care that it's tapu (‘sacred’ and prohibited) to touch anything to do with funeral services – they've got some bad karma coming their way."</p>
<p dir="ltr">He added that the community had been incredibly supportive and his business and “fully backed up” the funeral home.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The community has been right behind us especially our local – fully backing the whole 'what a***holes would do that' kind of mentality,” he said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Mr Moore isn’t aware of any cameras that could have captured the theft and has urged anyone in the community who saw anything or who has information to come forward.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“If anyone has any information, please get in touch with us,” he said.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZ Herald</em></p>
