PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Authorities say the St. Lucie County firefighter who took a man’s severed foot from an Interstate 95 crash scene last year has been charged with misdemeanor theft.
Florida Highway Patrol says Cindy Economou was arrested on Monday. She told authorities shortly after the Sept. 19 crash that she took the remains to help train her cadaver dog. She eventually resigned from the St. Lucie County Fire District.
FHP Lt. Tim Frith says the severity of a theft charge is usually determined by the value of what is stolen. Since there’s no law specifically dealing with the theft of a body part, he says it was difficult to determine the monetary value of the foot.
Economou was released from jail on her own recognizance Monday afternoon.
