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New York Post
a day ago
- General
- New York Post
LA family's been visiting empty grave to mourn their mother for 4 years after headstone mishap at cemetery: lawsuit
Grave error. Loved ones who spent years grieving their beloved family matriarch at her Los Angeles burial site were horrified to learn they had been visiting an empty grave the whole time due to a misplaced headstone, according to a lawsuit and reports. The family of the late Hasmik Demirchayn – who fled oppression from the Soviet Union in the 1980s for a better life in the US – spent the past nearly four years coming to grieve, pray, celebrate birthdays and even put up a decorated Christmas tree at an empty plot that had a headstone with her name, according to local reports. 3 Hasmik Demirchayn was buried in an unmarked plot at a cemetery, while an empty plot was given her gravestone, according to a lawsuit. Demirchyan Family Photo Marine, Hasmik's middle child, has been overwhelmed with guilt and shame for visiting the wrong gravestone, she tearfully recalled to NBC4 Los Angeles. 'When she passed, I thought, 'At least, we have given her a peaceful, respectful place to rest.' But seeing her memorial tablet placed on the wrong grave, it felt like losing her all over again,' the daughter said. 'We were just talking to an empty spot.' After Hasmik Demirchayn died of a heart attack in 2021, her children buried her in one of the plots that the family had purchased in 2008 at the Hollywood Hills location of Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Since then, her children have come to visit the gravesite and commemorate a woman they described to NBC Los Angeles as the 'perfect mom.' 'For a year, I was there every weekend, taking her flowers, and sitting and talking to her,' Marine told local station. It wasn't until this April when the children had to bury their father, who had been happily married to his wife for several decades, that they realized there had been a terrible mistake. Chris, Hasmik's son, told KTLA News that during his father's funeral service, a mortician confessed to him that his mother's headstone was above an empty plot, while her body was buried in a plot with no marker. The gravestone had been placed in 'space 1,' while the beloved matriarch was buried in 'space 2,' one plot over to the right, according to KTLA. 'It was an embarrassing moment. It was a shocking moment. It's a violation of trust,' Chris said, recalling the shocking conversation. 'I feel betrayed because we have been speaking to an empty plot.' 3 The gravestone of Hasmik Demirchayn, who died of a hear attack in July 2021. Demirchyan Family Photo Despite the cemetery fixing the mistake and moving the headstone to the right burial spot, the family has filed a lawsuit in the hopes that a similar mistake can be avoided in the future. The Demirchyan family sued Forest Lawn Mortuary and the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association for fraud, breach of contract, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress and is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, according to a lawsuit obtained by PEOPLE. 'While we appreciate Forest Lawn for taking appropriate action to correct their error right after they discovered it, it still is inexcusable because this would not have come to light if my client hadn't suffered another loss,' Rosie Zilifyan, the family's attorney, told local outlets. 3 The family of Hasmik Demirchayn is suing after they learned that they had been visiting an empty plot for four years, according to the suit. AP Apologizing and fixing the mistake doesn't take away the heartache, the family said. 'They think saying sorry and moving it makes up for what was four years of mourning that we did, and we're still grieving,' George Eskichyan, Hasmik's grandson, told KTLA. 'This adds an extra layer of hurt and pain.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
2 found dead inside tent in Westlake months after fatal fire at same encampment
A man and a woman were found dead inside a tent in Westlake on Monday, months after another person died in an RV fire at the same encampment, authorities said. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the 1200 block of Huntley Drive — near the 110 Freeway and Downtown Los Angeles — around 7:20 p.m. and found two bodies, according to a department spokesperson. The L.A. County medical examiner's office is working to determine how they died. Police are not investigating the deaths as homicides, the spokesperson said. The woman was identified as 46-year-old Lucrecia Macias Barajas, according to a spokesperson for the medical examiner. The man was in his 30s, and his identity is being withheld until authorities can reach his family, the spokesperson said. KTLA News reported that Barajas' family members found her body after they were unable to reach her for several days and tore open her tent, which was locked from the inside. ABC7 News captured video of Animal Services picking up Barajas' dogs from the encampment Monday night. A spokesperson for Animal Services said the department responded to a request from the LAPD to retrieve two dogs from the encampment — a pit-bull mix and a shepherd mix — and took them to North Central Animal Shelter. A man living nearby told KTLA that his dogs had been attacked by dogs living in the encampment, which he said has caused persistent problems in the neighborhood. 'This place has been a danger zone,' the man told the outlet. 'People don't feel safe, and nothing is ever done to clear it for good.' Read more: 24 fires a day: Surge in flames at L.A. homeless encampments a growing crisis On Jan. 7, a person was found dead inside a burned vehicle at the encampment. A second person, a 38-year-old man, was taken to a hospital in the incident, Los Angeles Fire Department Spokesperson Margaret Stewart said. The death rate among people experiencing homelessness in L.A. County increased by 55% between 2019 and 2021, an uptick public health officials have attributed to a surge in fentanyl overdoses. In 2023, 2,508 people experiencing homelessness died in L.A. — which is equivalent to 6.9 deaths a day. Drug and alcohol overdoses were the leading cause of death, accounting for 45% of all fatalities. Encampment fires are also a contributor to deaths among people living on the streets or in vehicles. From 2018 to 2020, the number of fires related to homelessness nearly tripled, accounting for roughly 38% of all fires the department responded to in that time frame, according to a Times analysis. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Anaheim police kill driver in high-speed pursuit, crash in Orange County
Anaheim police fatally shot a man Wednesday night after a high-speed pursuit that ended when he crashed his truck on a bridge over the Santa Ana River, authorities said. The chase began shortly after 7:45 p.m. when officers responded to a shooting at a motel in the 300 block of North Brookhurst Street, according to Anaheim police Sgt. Matt Sutter. The victim of the motel shooting, a man, was taken to a hospital in stable condition. The suspected shooter drove away and police pursued him, Sutter said. He led officers on a wild chase — blowing through intersections, striking other vehicles, weaving through traffic and losing a tire, according to video captured by a KTLA News helicopter. The man raced along the 91 Freeway in a white pickup truck before zooming onto surface streets, where police officers made several unsuccessful attempts to halt the truck, the station reported. After an almost hourlong chase, the pursuit ended near West Memory Lane and North Bristol Street, Sutter said, about eight miles from the shooting. Police positioned on a bridge over the Santa Ana River executed a PIT maneuver, strategically hitting the side of the suspect's truck and sending it into a guard rail. It bounced back into the road, striking a bridge divider, and came to rest, according to KTLA. Read more: Girl was kidnapped by man who messaged her on Roblox, officials say. 10-year-old found safe As smoke poured out of the vehicle, officers rushed to surround it. Police opened fire at 8:38 p.m., and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene, Sutter said. A passenger in the car surrendered to police and was escorted away, KTLA reported. Information on the suspect's and shooting victim's identities was not immediately available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Wild O.C. police pursuit ends in dramatic crash, fatal shooting of driver
A man was fatally shot by Anaheim police Wednesday night following a dramatic, high-speed pursuit that ended when he crashed his truck on a bridge over the Santa Ana River, authorities said. The incident began shortly after 7:45 p.m. in the Orange County city when officers responded to a shooting at a motel in the 300 block of North Brookhurst Street, according to Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter. The victim of the motel shooting, an adult man, was transported to a hospital in stable condition. The suspected shooter fled and, within minutes, police initiated a pursuit, Sutter said. He led officers on a wild chase — blowing through intersections, striking other vehicles, weaving through traffic and even losing a tire, according to helicopter footage captured by KTLA News. The man was seen racing along the 91 Freeway in a white pickup truck before zooming onto surface streets, where police officers made several unsuccessful attempts to halt the truck, the station reported. After an almost hourlong chase, the pursuit ended near West Memory Lane and North Bristol Street, Sutter said, which is around eight miles from the scene of the shooting. Police, pre-positioned on a bridge over the Santa Ana River, executed a PIT maneuver, strategically hitting the side of the suspect's truck, causing it to careen into a guard rail. It then bounced back into the road where it crashed into a bridge divider and came to rest, according to KTLA. Read more: Girl was kidnapped by man who messaged her on Roblox, officials say. 10-year-old found safe As smokes poured out of the vehicle, officers rushed to surround it. Police opened fire at 8:38 p.m. and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene, Sutter said. A passenger in the car surrendered to police and was escorted away, KTLA reported. Information on the suspect and shooting victim's identities was not immediately available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man is run over while attempting to stop a shoplifter in South El Monte, officials say
A man was killed in the city of South El Monte Wednesday afternoon while attempting to stop a shoplifter, authorities said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department received a call around 12:15 p.m. for a man who had been hit by a car in the 2000 block of Durfee Avenue. He was unconscious and not breathing, according to a department spokesperson. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and homicide investigators are investigating the incident, according to the Sheriff's Department. A man who identified himself as the victim's brother told KTLA News that the victim was working at the Giant Discount store when a group of people entered and stole merchandise. The victim then chased the suspected shoplifters out of the store into the parking lot, where they hit him in the head and ran him over, the station alleged. This is a developing story. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
