A South Florida woman is being considered a theft deterrent from the grave.

A would-be robber apparently ditched plans to steal a van after discovering a dead body was inside, reports WPBF.com.

The van, which belonged to a mortuary company, had picked up the body of 98-year-old Matilda Kazimir, who had just died at a Fort Pierce nursing home on Sunday.

The van's driver was about to pull off from the nursing home when he forgot he left his cell phone in the complex. He left the engine on and ran inside, but when he walked back outside, the van and the fresh corpse were gone.

That's likely when the robber realized the van had some unexpected cargo. Police found the vehicle, minus a radio, just a few blocks away.

Kazimir's body was still resting peacefully inside.