Funeral Home Accused of Body Mix-Up: Family Faces Shocking Experience

A Sacramento funeral home, La Paz Funeral Services, has been accused of mistakenly sending a stranger’s body to the family of Francisco Quintanilla, who died in November. The lawsuit claims the funeral home exploited the family, failing both to locate Quintanilla’s remains promptly and to provide acceptable service, leading to a traumatic experience.

In Sacramento, California, a disturbing incident involving a funeral home has raised significant concerns. A lawsuit filed this week alleges that La Paz Funeral Services shipped the wrong body to the family of Francisco Quintanilla, who had passed away last November. Originally from El Salvador, Quintanilla, a permanent citizen, had dedicated himself to providing for his wife and three children back home.

The Quintanilla family sought the help of La Paz Funeral Services, which claims to facilitate shipping remains internationally, including necessary embassy paperwork. However, attorney Rob Marcereau expressed grave concerns, stating that the service exploits the Latino community in Sacramento. On the day of the funeral, the family discovered a stranger’s body instead of Quintanilla’s in the casket, leaving them devastated.

After notifying the funeral home about the mix-up, the family was instructed to return the stranger’s body to the airport, while La Paz was unable to locate Quintanilla’s remains. Eventually, two weeks later, La Paz found his body. However, upon arrival in El Salvador, the family was horrified to discover that the body was in a severely decomposed state.

The lawsuit implicates La Paz’s owner and staff, accusing them of lacking the qualifications necessary to provide the promised services and for cutting corners. Attorney Marcereau lamented that the Quintanilla family’s last memory of their beloved was irrevocably tainted. Furthermore, the family has reportedly not received a refund, and their efforts to communicate with La Paz have been futile.

The tragic case involving La Paz Funeral Services highlights serious ethical and operational failures within the funeral home industry. The Quintanilla family’s experience, marked by a mix-up that led to the delivery of a stranger’s body and a subsequent lack of accountability from the funeral home, underscores the need for rigorous standards in funeral services. It serves as a stark reminder of the vital importance of professionalism and care in honoring loved ones.

Original Source: www.whsv.com