'Funeral Burglar' found guilty in home robberies while families were at funerals

Dubbed the "Funeral Burglar," 30-year-old Latonia Stewart was found guilty of six Westchester burglaries.

News 12 Staff

Oct 15, 2021, 5:12 PM

Updated 1,090 days ago

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A Bronx woman faces up to 15 years in prison for a string of burglaries targeting grieving Westchester residents.
Dubbed the "Funeral Burglar," 30-year-old Latonia Stewart was found guilty of six Westchester burglaries.
Prosecutors say she used obituaries to pick out homes to target and stole over $40,000 in jewelry and valuables. They say Stewart burglarized the homes in Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Ossining, Rye Brook, Scarsdale and Tarrytown while the homeowners were out of the house attending their spouse's wake or funeral service. Stewart used a sledgehammer to break windows and glass doors to gain entry into certain homes, and caused further damage to the homes once inside.
The burglaries began during the final months of her pregnancy and continued once her daughter was born.
She was found guilty after a weeklong jury trial. She'll face sentencing next month.
"It is absolutely appalling that people mourning the loss of a loved one were specifically targeted and taken advantage of in such a cruel and heinous manner," says Westchester DA Mimi Rocah. "I commend the great work of my team, the Greenburgh Police Department, and the other law enforcement partners who handled this case, and I hope that this verdict brings some measure of comfort to the victims."