Authorities have apprehended two individuals after a shocking find of nearly 400 bodies near the US-Mexico border.
The bodies were discovered by police at a private crematorium in Ciudad Juarez, located in northern Mexico. Officials noted that the establishment was in a state of neglect, with the remains stacked inside a warehouse compound.
Initially, reports indicated that 383 bodies were found along with six partial remains, as the investigation of the site continues.
Despite promises of cremation, none of the bodies had undergone the process. Forensic officials have identified 218 males, 149 females, and 16 whose genders remain undetermined.
Eloy Garcia, the communications coordinator for the Chihuahua state prosecutor’s office, informed AFP that the bodies were “deposited irregularly in the crematorium, which were not cremated.”
He further explained that the bodies were “just thrown like that, indiscriminately, one on top of the other, on the floor.”
Authorities believe all the bodies had been embalmed but were not cremated, with some possibly remaining there for up to two years, as reported by CBS News.
The investigation uncovered that the crematorium, known as ‘Plenitud,’ was providing services to six or seven local funeral homes.
Javier Sánchez Herrera, Director of Forensic Services and Sciences, mentioned that some bodies had hospital tags with their name and social security numbers. Garcia also noted that the relatives of the deceased received “other materials.”
José Luis Arellano Cuaron, the owner, and Facundo MR, an employee, have been arrested under charges related to burial, exhumation, and disrespect for corpses or human remains, affecting society.
The two are now in pretrial detention, awaiting a hearing scheduled for July 4.
State Attorney General César Jáuregui Moreno stated: “The Judge granted the preventive detention requested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office so that these individuals can continue their proceedings in prison. This ensures that they can not only address the economic damage they inflicted on many families, but also determine the terms of reparation for the damages for many of them, who are being revictimized by the pain they had already, in some ways, healed.”
The families have met with the State Attorney General, who assured them of “comprehensive care and support in their decision regarding their loved ones.”
The Attorney General added, “We will seek the highest possible penalty for those responsible. We will conduct a thorough investigation, seeking to minimize the re-victimization of families already experiencing this.”