“We Buried Your Mother by Mistake”: Lawsuit

The family of a woman buried in the wrong plot at a Southern California graveyard has filed a lawsuit against the company.

Evelina Barajas's mother, Ubalda Aleman, died in May from complications of Alzheimer's disease. As Evelina and her sister were preparing for a wake, they got a call from someone at Rosecrans Funeral Home in Paramount saying, "We buried your mother by mistake."

"My mom was the best mom, ever," Evelina Barajas said. "Even with her defects and everything, she was a great mom."

In their lawsuit, the family claims Rosecrans interred Aleman in place of another person, in another family's plot.

Barajas says the company had to exhume her mother.

They were apologetic, but that didn't make up for what had happened, Barajas said.

"God knows what these funeral homes are doing behind those doors," Barajas said. "We don't know. We really don't know."

There are no disciplinary actions against the cemetery on file with either the California Department of Consumer Affairs or the Better Business Bureau.

"Rosecrans Funeral Home is honored by the opportunity to serve the community and by their trust in us," said Joseph Tuchmayer, an attorney for Rosecrans, in a statement. "Consistent with this long standing commitment by Rosecrans, we respect the privacy of our clients and therefore have no comments at this time."

The Barajas lawsuit seeks more than just a response. It claims breach of contract and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

"Hopefully, this will help put funeral homes on notice," said Luis Carrillo, an attorney for the family.