Valley family seeks answers after plot misplaced in cemetery
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A Valley family is looking for answers after they say a cemetery misplaced their loved one's plot, but the cemetery says it's not their fault.
La Blanca Funeral Home and Cemetery is a place that many come to visit friends and family who have passed away. One family was trying to put a new stone on his plot, when they realized no one knew where that plot was—not even the cemetery.
Liz Bazan says she thinks about her husband a lot. Jose Sotelo was buried in 2003 at La Blanca Funeral Home and Cemetery. Bazan, along with the man's niece, wanted to purchase a stone to go on his plot, but now they may not get that chance.
"He's buried there, but we don't know in what plot number and we have reached out to the cemetery to see if they could figure out which one it was," said Cindy Ruiz, a family member.
The family says when they asked, the cemetery couldn't find any record of him there.
"It's already been months and the lady keeps giving us the run-around," Ruiz said.
Rosario Gallegos, who works at the cemetery, says the family has to take action first before they can help.
"They had the funeral at another funeral home, and that funeral home gave the death certificate," Gallegos said.
According to Gallegos, the family needs to contact that funeral home to get the plot number so she can help find out where Sotelo was buried. But that led to another problem.
"I contacted Vaughn Funeral Services and they told me that when they bought the property from Gonzalez, the place was empty,” Ruiz said. “They had no documents, no anything. So, they couldn't give me information."
Now, Bazan feels like she's hit a brick wall.
The family says to make matters worse, the plot and block number that are supposed to be on Sotelo's certificate say unknown.
Bazan says the two of shared a son together and all she wants is to give him closure.