A New York City family is suing a funeral home for mistakenly sending their mother’s casket to another country for burial. Carmen Maldonado, who passed away at the age of 96, had wished to be buried in Ecuador next to her husband. However, a video posted on TikTok showed that her body had been mistakenly sent to Guatemala for burial instead. Both bodies had been prepared by the same funeral home, Rivera Funeral Home in Corona.
Carmen’s daughter, Rosa Sicha, expressed devastation and disbelief upon learning of the mix-up. The family had to navigate a complex process to bring Carmen back from Guatemala to Ecuador for the proper burial. The funeral home initially denied the mistake when confronted by the family.
The family is now suing the funeral home and its parent company for their handling of the situation, alleging a cover-up. Their attorney, Phil Rizzuto, criticized the funeral home for attempting to hide the mistake and emphasized that if the family had not discovered it through TikTok, they may never have been notified. The funeral home and their attorney have not provided a comment on the matter.
Ultimately, Carmen Maldonado was laid to rest in Ecuador according to her wishes. The family’s ordeal highlights the importance of proper handling and communication by funeral homes in ensuring that loved ones are laid to rest with dignity and respect.
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