Coroner Backlog Delays Funeral for Teen Brothers Killed in Oakland

The family of two teens killed at a house party in Oakland earlier this month had to delay the funeral at the last minute because autopsies are not completed.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau said the delay in starting the boys’ autopsies is due to a shortage of doctors.

“It feels really soul crushing,” said Melani Garcia, the boys’ cousin. “For us, having a funeral in a timely fashion is one of the most vital steps in healing and moving forward. And I feel like we can not properly do that.”

It has been more than two weeks since brothers 15-year-old Angel and 17-year-old Jazy Sotelo Garcia were shot and killed.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Erik Bordi said the coroner’s bureau has been backlogged for a year and the recent spike of violence in Oakland has only made it worse.

“I’ve been here 10 years. I have never seen it close to like this,” Bordi said. “There is a nationwide shortage of pathologists, that coupled with an increase in homicide deaths, violent crimes, overdoses with fentanyl — it’s just leading to a backlog.”

Out of 35 pending autopsies, 13 are from homicides. Also adding to the delay is most pathologists have to be flown in from other states.

The family of two teenagers, killed in a house party on Oct. 2, are pushing back the funeral because of a backlog at the Alameda County’s coroner’s office. Velena Jones takes a closer look at the story.

Typical autopsies are completed in one to three days. In Alameda County, that timeframe is now two to three weeks or longer — something Bordi said is out of their control.

“I would love it if I could bump everyone up the list so all families could get their funerals done on time,” Bordi said. “But then it is not fair to another family member, so it has been very difficult.”

A delay grieving family members said only adds to their pain.

“I just can’t stop thinking of the fact that their bodies are just laying in the morgue when they could be laid to rest appropriately,” Garcia said.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office said the boys’ autopsy is scheduled for Thursday pending any complications.

Content Source

Dallas Press News – Latest News:
Dallas Local News || Fort Worth Local News | Texas State News || Crime and Safety News || National news || Business News || Health News

texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

Related Articles

Back to top button