HOUSTON, Texas – A family has confronted a Texas funeral home director for taking a selfie in a hearse with their dearly departed’s casket.
The local ABC affiliate reported that Rosa Molina and her family were burying her 32-year-old cousin.
“That day was especially hard for us because Saturday was the one-year anniversary of the loss of my grandmother, and they were buried next to each other,” Molina told KTRK in Houston.
Molina said she was shocked to see the funeral director, David L. Jones, take a selfie in the hearse with her cousin’s casket showing behind him. She could not believe what she saw.
“You could see that he had it kind of angled, you know, you have it positioned in a certain way to catch the background.”
The grieving woman confronted Jones and he replied that he was just adjusting his tie.
After she and her family buried her cousin, Molina investigated and found that Jones had numerous photos of what she believed was photos of selfies of Jones in hearses with caskets.
The funeral home owner, Joaquin Leal of Leal Funeral Home, was reported to say that Jones was an independent contractor. He also called Jones’ behavior “unacceptable.”
“We were mourning the loss of my cousin, to be a very family event, private event, it’s tainted. He disrespected this day in my family’s life.”
The KTRK article reported that Jones is a licensed funeral director who has no complaints on his record. Molina says she is going to file a complaint.
The Texas Funeral Services Commission told the local media outlet that Jones’ behavior could be a violation of conduct that could result in a warning or up to a $5,000 fine.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.