A Michigan teenager has been arrested after he got into a car crash and police discovered the body of a mom in the back of the pickup truck, cops said.
Stephen Lee Freeman, 19, was driving when his truck got into a fender-bender at a stoplight in Roseville on Oct. 27, FOX2 reported.
Freeman fled on foot, while authorities searched his vehicle and found the body of Gabriele Seitz, 62, of Shelby Township.
He was arrested Sunday, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Freeman was arraigned Tuesday on one count of concealing the death of an individual and one count of receiving and concealing stolen property, the Michigan Free Press confirmed. District Judge Alyia Marie Hakim set the bond at $75,000 cash surety with conditions.
During the arraignment, state prosecutors alleged that Seitz was found with a shoelace around her neck and “obvious signs of strangulation.” The judge declined to set bond because Freeman has not yet been charged with murder.
Speaking to WXYZ Detroit over the weekend, Seitz’s oldest son, Justin Omans, remembered his mother as “the sweetest person alive that everyone loved.”
“She made people laugh,” he told the outlet. “She liked to dance, sing, everything.”
Omans was also quick to shut down rumors that Seitz knew Freeman before her death, and urged locals to stop spreading false information.
“I wanna clear out the story. I want the rumors and all the false comments that are on Facebook and social media to stop,” he told ClickOn Detroit. “You know my mom. You know she wouldn’t have some guy coming up to her place.”
County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Fox said in court Tuesday that Freeman had a history of substance abuse, and was likely homeless. Freeman’s attorney, Kevin Smith, claimed that his client had mental health issues, and requested a referral to community corrections.
While the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the link between Seitz and Freeman, Omans has set up a GoFundMe to help cover his mother’s funeral costs.
“My mom was the sweetest, friendliest and funniest person to be around, but unfortunately, she was taken from this world too soon,” the page reads. “I am deeply heartbroken and asking for help to give her a great funeral.”
The Macomb County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
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