One other grieving household is suing a Queens funeral house following a mishap that led to 2 households receiving the incorrect our bodies earlier than laying their family members to relaxation.
The household of Elder Emilio Garcia Umul paid Rivera Funeral House in Corona to fly the physique of the 39-year-old to Guatemala to be buried. Nevertheless, as a substitute of transporting their relative, the funeral house despatched the physique of a 96-year-old girl to the Central American nation.
The physique was of Carmen Maldonado, whose household had been making ready for her funeral in Ecuador, the place she had requested to be buried subsequent to her husband. However earlier than the funeral, her household noticed a TikTok video that shocked them: it confirmed Garcia Umul’s kinfolk surprised to see Maldonado’s physique within the casket meant for him.
Each our bodies had been ready by the Rivera Funeral House. On Tuesday, Garcia Umul’s household filed a lawsuit towards the funeral house.
The household of Maldonado, who died two days after her 96th birthday, filed a lawsuit towards the funeral house and the corporate that owns it in Oct. 2024.
“I was devastated, I couldn’t believe that this could be such a big confusion,” said Carmen’s daughter, Rosa Sicha. “I started to cry, and I was incredibly upset.”
One other member of the family needed to fly to Guatemala and work with well being division officers and police to retrieve Maldonado’s physique earlier than bringing it to Ecuador to be buried. Each households mentioned they needed to undergo nice lengths to get their family members to their closing resting locations, about two weeks after they had been initially set to be laid to relaxation.
When Maldonado’s household requested the funeral house in regards to the mix-up, they declare the funeral house denied it.
Each households are represented by legal professional Phil Rizzuto, who alleged the funeral house can “prey on people” and mentioned “it baffles my mind they are still in business” after the mix-ups.
“They tried to cover it up, and there is no excuse for that. And if the family did not see this on TikTok and confront them, the funeral home would have never told them,” mentioned Rizzuto mentioned beforehand.
Neither the funeral house nor their legal professional has commented on the matter.
