Utah police find severed finger in man’s wallet during traffic stop

OREM, Utah — Police officers in a Utah city could not put their finger on this suspect’s motives. Nor did they want to.

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While conducting a traffic stop on Wednesday, officers with the Orem Police Department found a severed finger inside the driver’s wallet, KSTU-TV reported.

Victor Chavez-Zuniga, 27, was charged with abuse or desecration of a dead human body, the television station reported.

Officers originally stopped Chavez-Zuniga because the driver’s side headlight was not functioning, KTXV-TV reported. Officers then learned that Chavez-Zuniga had active warrants, according to the television station.

Chavez-Zuniga was placed in handcuffs, and while officers searched the vehicle they found a severed finger wrapped in cloth inside his wallet, KSTU reported. According to a police report, the finger “had what appeared to be pus and blood around it.”

The fingernail appeared to be decayed and officers noticed a foul smell when the finger was removed from the cloth, the television station reported.

It was not immediately clear why Chavez-Zuniga had the detached digit in his wallet.

Chavez-Zuniga was later booked into the Utah County Jail, KTVX reported.

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