Man steals ashes of woman’s daughter, holds them for ransom, police say

The 30-year-old man from New York is accused of stealing the ashes of a Pennsylvania nail salon owner’s deceased daughter and demanding that she send him thousands of dollars for their return.

A New York man is accused of stealing the ashes of a Pennsylvania woman’s daughter and holding them for ransom for thousands of dollars.

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On June 12 around 5:40 p.m., Upper Moreland police responded to a home in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, for a report of a theft. They were met by a woman who accused 30-year-old Nuo Chen of Flushing, New York, of entering her home and stealing an urn that contained the ashes of her deceased daughter.

The woman told investigators Chen worked at her nail salon in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. According to the woman, Chen began acting erratically toward customers inside the business, and she decided he could no longer work there. Chen continued to show up to the salon and caused problems, according to the criminal complaint.