A New Orleans police sergeant who survived the D-Day Normandy invasion to battle criminals for 63 years in the city of New Orleans finally lost one to the bad guys last week — only hours after he died.
The burglars, two men and a woman, broke into Police Sgt. Manuel Curry's house Thursday morning and stole several rifles and a handgun, along with jewelry, money and medication, New Orleans police said.
Curry, 84, believed to be the longest-serving active-duty police officer in the country, died of heart failure hours earlier, according to The Times-Picayune.
His widow Genevieve "Jackie" Curry, whom he was married to for 51 years, was at a funeral home planning her husband's burial when she learned of the burglary, the paper reported.
"Oh my goodness. Who would do this?" she told The Times-Picayune.
At the time of his death, Curry was still working full-time and miraculously had never fallen victim to a crime. He was a World War II veteran who took part in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, but missed the 65th anniversary by two days.
During his 63-year-long tenure as an officer with the New Orleans Police Department, Curry fought off murderers, bank robbers and other common criminals in the city's rough 6th District.
"He would have been shocked to see this, " his wife told the paper on Monday, referring to their burglarized house. "The place looked like a hurricane came through."
Curry's co-workers on the force hunted for the thieves, ultimately catching the three alleged culprits.
Eddie "E-Fat" Scott and Kevin "K" Carr, both 19, allegedly broke into the home, while an accomplice, 24-year-old Robin West, is accused of acting as a lookout, police said.
The stolen items were found later in an abandoned house.
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