CHANDLER, AZ — A man has been charged with burglarizing a Chandler mortuary, according to court paperwork.
Chandler police report that in the early morning of January 25, a man entered the Valley of the Sun Mortuary near McQueen and Chandler Heights roads and stole two 65-inch televisions, a scanner, and other kitchen and office equipment. Police say the value of the items stolen is about $2,000.
Police say Raul Escalante, 35, used a security code to access the facility. According to court records, he received the code from his girlfriend, who was recently fired from the cleaning crew hired by the mortuary.
Police say a surveillance photo confirmed the identity of Escalante as the person who entered the mortuary.
On February 17, police located Bojorquez outside a family member's home before running inside and refusing to come out. A DPS SWAT team later entered the house and found Escalante hiding under a bed.
Upon his arrest, he said he was angry at the cleaning company for firing his girlfriend. He allegedly admitted to entering the mortuary but denied stealing anything. Police say the stolen property was not found in the home or his car.
Court records show that Escalante has an extensive criminal history and was released in 2017 after serving ten years in prison.
He has now been charged with burglary.
