SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Sarasota deputies arrested Ryan Hagenbuch last month on a grand theft charge.

The 44-year-old was accused of stealing money from a dead man’s wallet during a medical call. Hagenbuch was a firefighter with the Sarasota County Fire Department for 15 years, until his resignation last month.

The alleged crime happened in March at Nokomis Inn and Suites. Hagenbuch and another firefighter, who had been with the department for about a year, responded to the call, but the 80-year-old patient was pronounced dead at the scene.

After law enforcement left the room, the other firefighter said Hagenbuch told him that he “should take a little bit of lunch money.”

An arrest report said when the firefighter refused, he witnessed Hagenbuch take $200 in cash from the victim’s wallet, put it in his pocket, and said, “he is dead, nobody is going to know”.

Guests at the Nokomis hotel were shocked learning of the allegations.

“That is reprehensible. That is terrible. That is heinous,” said a woman named Denise.

An arrest report said the less-experienced firefighter reported the theft to his superiors who then took action, contacting the sheriff’s office.

The report says when confronted by his chief, Hagenbuch admitted to stealing the money, apologized for putting his colleague in a difficult position, and said he had a lapse in judgement and made a mistake.

News Channel 8 contacted the Sarasota County Fire Department for comment on the arrest and allegations against the former employee. We were sent the following statement.

Sarasota County is aware of the arrest of a former Sarasota County Fire Department employee. The individual is no longer an employee of Sarasota County and had resigned their position prior to their arrest. Sarasota County does not comment on individual employee matters, however, staff will continue to assist law enforcement and state agencies as needed during their investigations.
When the allegations were received involving this individual, the Sarasota County Fire Department immediately notified the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office so they could conduct a thorough investigation.
It’s important to note that it was the actions taken by Sarasota County Fire Department personnel that brought these concerns forward. This reflects our commitment to accountability and doing what’s right.

Court records show Hagenbuch pleaded not guilty to the charge. His next court date is schedule for May 22.