14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this week, an actual human leg was stolen from a van parked outside a restaurant in Los Angeles. It was taken while the people entrusted with looking after it were inside the establishment, enjoying a quiet meal.
According to the law enforcement officers investigating the case, it was on Monday, at about 3 a.m., that the limb disappeared without a trace. Soon enough, crews were sent out to look for it. All the same, the limb hasn't yet been found.
What was a leg doing in a van anyway?
The human leg that was stolen in Los Angeles just days ago and that the police are still looking for came from a coroner's office.
It was in a van because employees of nonprofit organ and tissue organization One Legacy were supposed to take it to a tissue donation site. Along the way, however, they stopped at the restaurant to get something to eat and so lost it.
This stop had been approved by the organization. Hence, the One Legacy employees entrusted with the limb are not considered responsible.
Following the theft, the organization issued a statement apologizing to the family who had agreed to donate the leg for tissue harvesting. One Legacy also promised to work on its security measures to prevent other such incidents.
The thieves probably didn't know they were stealing a leg
It is understood that, having gained access to the van, the thieves took two backpacks containing personal items. The leg was placed in a plastic cooler, which the police think the thieves took without knowing it had a human limb inside it, Dispatch Times reports.
If this is really what happened, it's safe to assume they had the surprise of a lifetime when they opened it and found the leg. As for what they did with the limb once they discovered it, authorities are still working on cracking this puzzle.