A Family Discovers a Stranger in a Coffin at a Relative's Funeral (5 photos)

The family of 44-year-old Joey Espinoza gathered for his memorial service at Forest Lawn Chapel in Covina Hills, California. He died of heart failure. His aunt, Laura Levario, immediately noticed that the casket was different from the one he had chosen. Soon, the nightmare became clear: a stranger lay in the casket.





"I realized it wasn't my nephew in the casket," Levario told KSLA.

Espinoza's family, already grieving the loss, demanded that his remains be found so they could say their final goodbyes.

"He had a heart of gold. He was like a son to me," Levario added.



The staff took the family to another room. But even there, the coffin wasn't Espinosa's.

She said it took the bureau staff over an hour to get them to the body and allow them to finally begin mourning.

"They didn't even know where my nephew's body was," Levario shared.

In the chaos of the search, Levario's husband, George, became so distraught that he suffered a heart attack.

Three days later, George woke up on life support.

"It was the most terrifying experience of our lives," he admitted.





Forest Lawn called the mix-up a "scheduling error" and offered the family $200 in compensation. It's worth noting that the funeral cost nearly $20,000.

The Espinoza family has filed a lawsuit against the funeral home, accusing it of negligence.

"Instead of grieving for their loved one, they're looking for his body," the family's attorney, Elvis Tran, told CBS News. "When you pay that much money for a prestigious place like Forest Lawn, you expect everything to be perfect."



Forest Lawn has locations throughout Southern California.

"Forest Lawn is a place where you'll be truly cared for. The people who work here are ready to support you in your time of need," the website states.

In May, an Atlanta family sued a funeral home. They claimed that staffers swapped a relative's body and dressed a stranger in their loved one's clothes.