Suspect arrested, arraigned after body found in truck after crash

ROSEVILLE — A suspect has been charged with two crimes after a body was found in the bed of a pickup truck Oct. 27 following a crash in the area of Common and Hayes roads in Roseville.

Judge Alyia Hakim, of the 39th District Court, arraigned Stephen Freeman, 19, on two five-year felony counts Nov. 1. Freeman is charged with receiving and concealing a body, and concealing the death of an individual. Freeman is being held in the Macomb County Jail on a $75,000 cash or surety bond and will be required to wear a GPS tether, if released.

Additionally, Freeman was referred to Macomb County Community Corrections for a report from the dual diagnosis program. Dual diagnosis deals with mental illness and substance use disorder.

At approximately 12:15 p.m. Oct. 27, Roseville police officers were dispatched to the area of Common and Hayes for a report of a traffic crash. When they arrived, officers learned that the driver of one of the vehicles had fled the scene, according to a press release from the Roseville Police Department.

While officers were investigating, they located a deceased person who has now been identified as 62-year-old Gabriele Seitz, of Shelby Township, in the bed of the truck that Freeman allegedly was operating.

Freeman fled the scene on foot, according to Roseville police, but Roseville officers arrested Freeman Oct. 30, according to records from the jail. The Police Department had released photos to the public on Oct. 27 to ask for help in finding a person of interest in the case.

Freeman — whom the jail lists as a resident of Lexington, Michigan, which is in Sanilac County — remains a person of interest in the case and the investigation is ongoing, a Nov. 1 press release from Macomb County Prosecuting Attorney Peter Lucido states.

According to the release, evidence is being tested, and an examination of the body is being completed.

“Because the investigation is ongoing, we are limited on what can be said at this time. However, when we have additional information from the investigation we will be updating everyone,” Lucido said in the release.

Freeman is scheduled for a probable cause hearing at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 9 in front of 39th District Court Judge Joseph Boedeker. A preliminary exam is scheduled for Nov. 16. At press time, Freeman had requested a court-appointed attorney. One had not yet been assigned.

A GoFundMe webpage was started by Justin Omans, Seitz’s son.

“My mom was the sweetest, friendliest and funniest person to be around, but unfortunately, she was taken from this world too soon,” Omans said in the posting. “I am deeply heartbroken and asking for help to give her a great funeral.”

At press time, the fundraiser had raised $3,240 of its $10,000 goal. For more information, visit gofundme.com/f/juyxu-for-my-moms-funeral.

Contact Staff Writer Brian Wells at (248) 291-7637 or bwells@candgnews.com.