WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY – A local family preparing to say their final goodbyes was left devastated and horrified after arriving at a Washington Heights funeral home to find a complete stranger lying inside their father’s casket.
A Shocking Discovery At The Wake
The family of Jose Daniel Diaz Felipe, 84, arrived at the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home on Thursday for his scheduled wake. However, upon opening the coffin, they immediately realized the body inside was not their father.
According to Felipe’s son, Jose Luis Diaz, the funeral home staff spent hours trying to convince the family that the man in the casket was their father, despite obvious physical differences. Diaz noted that his father was bald and 5-foot-3, while the stranger in the coffin had hair and was significantly taller.
Where Is The Missing Father?
When pressured for answers, the funeral home management claimed they had processed another individual with a similar name during the same week.
The family was later told that Felipe’s remains had been transferred to the company’s main office in the Bronx. However, the situation took a worse turn when staff informed them that the body had already been cremated. The family states they now have no way of verifying if the ashes belong to their father.
Funeral Home’s History Of Legal Trouble
This shocking mix-up is not the first time the R.G. Ortiz Funeral Home chain has faced severe backlash.
The New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection previously sued the business following nearly 50 consumer complaints. The lawsuits alleged that the home:
- Mishandled and neglected the remains of loved ones.
- Concealed and misrepresented pricing for funeral services.
The company settled that lawsuit in 2024, agreeing to pay $600,000 in restitution to affected families and $100,000 in civil penalties.
The family is currently seeking legal counsel and demanding a full investigation into the whereabouts of their father. Representatives for the funeral home have not yet responded to requests for comment.
