A story like this could only be born in Florida. Three men were arrested in the Sunshine State for stealing and snorting both human and dog ashes, and one of the trio was sentenced to eight years for the crime.
Jose Davis Diaz-Marrero, was given the prison sentence Friday (Dec.7) for his role in the bizarre—and disgusting—crime spree. Authorities believe that the 20-year-old was involved in a slue of burglaries between December of 2010 and January 2011.
On Dec. 15, 2010, Diaz-Marrero, Waldo Soroa, 21, and Matrix Andaluz, 19, allegedly broke into a home and jacked urns holding the ashes of Holli Tencza’s father and her two dogs, Samson and Epic. They also lifted a laptop, a DVD player, a flat screen, and $1500 worth of jewelry.
The men revealed to detectives that they thought there were drugs in the urn, and had to give them a try to find out for themselves. It wasn’t until after they saw the story in a local newspaper that they realized that the nose candy was actually human and animal remains.
“I recognize that I’ve made a big mistake,” Diaz-Marrero said in court. “I wish the victims were here so that I could tell them how sorry I am.”
Diaz-Marrero and Andaluz pleaded guilty to a total of four burglaries in June. Andaluz received nine years in prison and 12 years of probation, while cases against Soroa are still pending.
As for the ashes of Tencza’s father, they were found in a nearby lake, along with those belonging to one of her dogs. The second dog’s ashes were thrown out by a woman who thought it was concrete mix.
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Photo: florida.arrests.org
