Relatives of a man who died of heart problems are suing a Montebello mortuary, saying they were “horrified” that the embalming was done so poorly that liquid was oozing from the decedent’s face during a viewing in his native Mexico.
The plaintiffs in the Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit brought against Risher Mortuary & Cremation Service are Virginia Ramos, the widow of the late Santos Ramos, and the decedent’s two children, Santos Rene Ramos and Elizabeth Ramos. The complaint alleges breach of contract, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and a violation of the state’s Health and Safety Code.
“The family was forced to witness, in person, the grotesque and undignified condition of their loved one’s remains at what should have been a solemn and sacred occasion,” the suit states.
The plaintiffs seek unspecified compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees. A Risher representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit filed Monday.
Santos Ramos died in January 2024 of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Virginia Ramos contracted with Risher for funeral and mortuary services, including the embalming of her husband’s remains, preparation of his body and associated funeral services, all at a cost of about $4,130, the suit states.
After Santos Ramos was embalmed, his body was prepared for transit to Mexico as the family requested. The body arrived in Jalisco, Mexico, in March 2024 and the plaintiff as well as other relatives gathered for the viewing and wake, according to the suit.
But instead of experiencing a solemn event, the relatives immediately observed that Santos Ramos’ remains were in a “state of notorious and advanced decomposition” with liquids discharging from his face, the suit states.
“The family was horrified and devastated by what they witnessed,” the plaintiffs said.
A representative of the Mexican funeral home said the body arrived in that condition and that the embalming process performed by Risher was “realized in terrible quality,” the suit states.
As a result, the relatives were deprived of a proper viewing and the chance for a meaningful final farewell with their deceased husband and father, according to the suit.
The widow and children have suffered “severe and enduring emotional distress, anguish, grief, humiliation, horror and anxiety,” according to their lawsuit, which further states that they filed a complaint about the alleged improper embalming in August 2024 with the state Cemetery and Funeral Bureau.