Human leg stolen from van outside Los Angeles restaurant

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 (UPI) -- An organ donation organization confirmed a human leg was stolen from one of its tissue transport vans while it was parked outside a Los Angeles restaurant.

OneLegacy, a nonprofit that provides organ transportation for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner, confirmed the cooler containing the leg was stolen from the unmarked van about 5 a.m. Monday while employees of the organization dined at the Original Pantry Cafe.

"OneLegacy regrets the loss of the opportunity to fulfill the donor family's wish to heal and save lives with this donation," OneLegacy Chief Executive Tom Mone said in a statement provided to CBS Los Angeles. "[OneLegacy] is reviewing its security procedures to identify ways in which we can prevent such occurrences in the future."

CBS Los Angeles said the leg was wrapped up and the thieves may not have known they were taking a human body part.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said it is investigating the theft.

Mark Fajardo, the county's chief medical examiner-coroner, said he is looking into the possibility that information about the theft was leaked to the public by someone in his office.

"As it stands today, we do not know who 'leaked' the information, but it appears at face value to be one of my employees," Fajardo said in a letter to the county Board of Supervisors. 

Fajardo said the probe is ongoing.

"Whether the leg turns up, I do not know," he told the Los Angeles Times.