Police charge man believed to have been stealing cash donations from funeral services

A MAN has handed himself in and been charged after allegedly stealing $4000 from a donation box at the Avondale Heights funeral of a young father. The money was to be donated to the man’s autistic son.

THE MAN who allegedly stole donations from a grieving family at a funeral has handed himself in to police overnight.

A 57-year-old Werribee man attended Werribee police station last night and has been charged with two counts of theft and one count of burglary.

GRIEVING FAMILIES EXPLOITED BY FUNERAL INDUSTRY

The man has been bailed to appear at the Werribee Magistrates’ Court on June 13.

Yesterday, the heartbroken family of a young father said they may never have closure after his funeral was targeted by a “despicable” thief.

Police said they believed the man may be stalking funerals across Melbourne.

Shane, 43, was being farewelled at a funeral in Avondale Heights last week when the “heartless” offender stole about $4,000 from a donation box while grieving family members were distracted.

The money was to be donated to Shane’s surviving son Kai, 4, who has high range autism and requires specialist care.

The money had been raised by friends, family and colleagues.

Police allege the man on camera had targeted funerals. Picture: Supplied

A man police sought to talk to in regards to the incident.

Police allege the man seen on CCTV loitered in the foyer of the church about 11.05am on 12 January.

His brother, Kevin, said Shane was a “gentle, kind hearted man” but his funeral has been forever tainted by the “despicable act’”.

“I’m not sure if in years to come if I can ever remember this funeral for anything else but for this despicable act,” he said.

Shane’s sister-in-law, Kristy, said she would never understand why someone would stoop this low and fought back tears as she pleaded with the man to hand himself in.

“I have no words … there’s no closure,” she said.

Kristy said the death of her brother-in-law was sudden and the family have been unable to properly grieve since the theft.

Shane died following complications from a severe asthma attack.

Senior Constable Joey Micallef said in his eight years in the force, this was one of the worst crimes he had seen.

Kevin said the theft has devastated the family.

“It’s a completely despicable, spineless act … I can’t seem to get my head around it,” he said.

“It’s absolutely imperative this person is held accountable for his actions,” he said.

Avondale Heights police allege a man loitered in the foyer of the church about 11.05am on 12 January.

The family had requested donations in lieu of flowers to help care for the four year old boy in the future.

The unknown and uninvited man was captured on CCTV pinching the donation envelopes just metres from the deceased’s grieving family.

Police believe this is not the first time this man has struck following the theft of cash from a church donation box during a funeral service in Bundoora on 15 November last year.

The theft occurred at a church on McLeans Road where the same man is believed to have stolen the cash in the box about 3.45pm.

Kristy and Kevin say they haven’t been able to properly grieve.

First Constable Belinda Petrovska said the offender may be searching funeral notices and targeting funerals that request donations.

“There have been reports of a man fitting this description attending other funerals doing the same thing,”

“It’s disgusting this man is targeting grieving people at their most vulnerable,” she said.

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@GenevieveAlison