Remains of stillborn baby thrown away at funeral home, California police say
Police are investigating after a contractor allegedly threw away an item containing the remains of a stillborn baby this month at a Northern California funeral home.
Police received a call Saturday afternoon from Cherokee Memorial Funeral Home, the Lodi Police Department said in a news release Monday, reporting that a “fetus was missing from their storage area.”
Officers reviewed surveillance video footage from the funeral home and determined that, two weeks prior to the weekend, police report, “an employee from a contracted transport service discarded an item containing the fetus,” according to an updated news release. Police officials initially incorrectly said a box was the item containing the fetus.
“During those 2 weeks, all waste containers have been emptied and transported by the waste collection company,” police wrote.
The Police Department said it remains in the preliminary stages of an investigation into the incident and will provide updates as available. No arrests have been announced.
About 5 p.m. Monday, police officials announced that detectives searched a landfill but did not find the remains of the stillborn baby. The detectives identified and questioned the employees involved in the incident.
The Police Department said its investigation will be forwarded to the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether any criminal charges will be filed. Police officials also said their investigation is still open.
This story was originally published July 18, 2022 at 11:57 AM.
