Paul Walker’s family plans funeral after body released by coroner

The family of “Fast & Furious” actor Paul Walker is planning a funeral for the star now that his body has been released by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Walker’s body was released Tuesday to officials at Forest Lawn Mortuaries.

A memorial Sunday for Walker drew thousands to Santa Clarita, but various media reports have said the funeral will be private.

Walker, 40, died Nov. 30 from a combination of traumatic injuries and burns after the Porsche in which he was riding crashed in Santa Clarita and erupted in flames, the coroner’s office reported last week.

Roger Rodas, 38, Walker’s financial advisor and friend, was behind the wheel of the high-performance 2005 Porsche when it crashed. He was killed by the impact alone, a medical examiner concluded.

Meanwhile, a second man charged with stealing part of the wrecked vehicle has surrendered to authorities at the San Fernando courthouse.

Anthony Janow, 25, and Jameson Witty, 18, each face one felony count of grand theft of personal property, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said. They each also face misdemeanor counts of destroying evidence and resisting, obstructing and delaying a peace officer.

Janow, a professional skateboarder, was booked and released Tuesday morning. Witty was arrested last week and released from custody after posting $20,000 bail.

If convicted of the charges, the men each face a maximum sentence of four years and six months in county jail, prosecutors said.

Authorities allege that on the night of Nov. 30, the two stole a roof panel from a tow truck carrying the destroyed Porsche Carrera GT away from the crash site.

The tow truck driver -- who had been stopped at a red light when the theft occurred -- reported it to authorities, officials said. Search warrants were served, and investigators found some of the parts at a home in Canyon Country.

A photo posted to an Instagram account for @jamesonwhitty showed what the user claimed to be a piece of the Porsche from the crash: “Piece of Paul walkers car, took it off a tow truck at a stop light…#paulwalker” #rip #comeup.”

A second message posted on the same account offered an apology, in which the car enthusiast said he took the roof to make a memorial out of it.

“Paul was a childhood idol to me and many. At the time I was not thinking about the consequences it could have, I never wanted it to be like this I wasn’t going to sell the piece to make a profit,” the message reads. “Nobody in this world is perfect, we all make mistakes. Some bigger than others.”

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richard.winton@latimes.com