BRIGHTON, Mich. – Michigan State Police and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office are asking for help in the search for a man who, they say, has been breaking into homes while the residents were attending family funeral services.

Police have released a few surveillance images of the man who has been targeting homes of the recently deceased or homes of family members who are listed in the obituaries.

Investigators told Local 4 when families flock into the chapel, the man calls the funeral home to make sure the family in mourning is there.

"You can't get much lower than that, taking advantage of people who are already down," said Josh Brewer.

"I don't know what the world's come to," said Robert Mansfield.

While those in mourning are saying their final goodbyes, detectives said the thief is ransacking the deceased's home, taking whatever he wants.

"Imagine the grief the family is already going through in the first place and somebody (is) taking advantage," said Mansfield.

In the past month, the man has hit eight homes in Washtenaw, Livingston, Monroe and Oakland counties.

Surveillance photos (pictured, below) show the man using an ATM at a Bank of America and coming out of a Target store.

The thief is described as a black man between 20 and 30 years old with facial hair. He was driving a silver, four-door car believed to be a Pontiac Grand Prix.

Anyone with information on the burglaries or the man in the surveillance images is asked to contact the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office at 734-973-7711 or Crime Stoppers at 800-SPEAK-UP.



--The man's vehicle is at the left. It is believed to be a Pontiac Grand Prix.