Van with a body inside stolen from Illinois funeral home; suspect is arrested in Green Bay

GREEN BAY - The suspect in the theft of a van stolen from an Illinois funeral home in late January was arrested Sunday in Green Bay, according to the Rockford, Illinois, Police Department.

The van, which was reported stolen on Jan. 21, had the body of a dead 47-year-old man inside. Authorities said the van belonged to Collins & Stone Funeral Home and was stolen from outside the business. A spokesperson for the Rockford Police Department said the van had been running while it was stolen.

Authorities later identified the suspect as a 23-year-old from Rockford man. He was arrested Sunday in Green Bay, according to media reports and public records.

The van found empty Jan. 22 in a south Chicago neighborhood. The body was later found the evening of Jan. 23, about two miles northeast from where the van was found.

The man faces Illinois charges of unlawful possession of a stolen vehicle and abuse of a corpse, as well as additional charges in Wisconsin. He is currently being held at the Brown County Jail, but it's unclear when he might be extradited to Illinois.

The Brown County Sheriff's Office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Rebecca Loroff is a breaking and trending news reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her at rloroff@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Man arrested in Green Bay after van stolen from Illinois funeral home