Man drives body, 2 days dead, to hospital

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ESPANOLA, N.M., April 6 (UPI) -- A man who drove a decomposing body to a New Mexico hospital emergency room asked hospital staff to look at his "sick" friend, officials said.

Police said Jerry Maestas, 64, drove up to the outside entrance of an Espanola hospital's emergency room with the remains of May Marquez, 33, propped up in the passenger seat of his vehicle, KOB-TV, Albuquerque, reported Wednesday.

Maestas allegedly urged hospital staff to come out to help his "sick" friend but when responders came to the car, they discovered the friend was well past the point of being sick.

"They found some early stages of decomposition -- and also the smell they detected when they walked up the vehicle," said Jeremy Apodaca with the Espanola Police Department.

Police postulate Marquez had been dead from 24 to 36 hours although they do not know the cause of death, KOB-TV said.

Maestas will be charged with failing to report a death.