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A father was handed his deceased son's brain in a bag, rather than the requested personal effects, at the funeral home in San Jose, California. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community, and the funeral home has been sued by the family.
The lawsuit, brought against Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel, describes a deeply traumatic ordeal following the death of 27-year-old Alexander Pinon.
According to an exclusive report by ABC7 News, Alexander Pinon passed away on May 19, 2025. His family entrusted Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel with his full-service memorial arrangements, paying over 10,000 dollars. Among their requests, the family explicitly asked that Alex be dressed in formal attire for the service and that the clothes he was wearing at the time of his death be returned to them.
However, what unfolded next, as detailed in the lawsuit, was a grievous error. Alex's father was allegedly given a bag by Indian origin director, Anita Singh, which he assumed contained his son's clothes. The family's attorney, Samer Habbas, recounted to ABC7 that the father took the bag home, intending to wash the items within.
"At that point, they had no idea that it was their son’s brain that was in the washing machine," Habbas stated, underscoring the family's shock. He added to the horror, saying, "They didn’t know if it was mixed up with somebody else’s brain, whether it was their son’s."
Upon this gruesome discovery, Alex's father reportedly returned the organ, carefully placed back in the bag, to Singh at the funeral home. The lawsuit claims that Singh accepted the bag with an alleged dismissive response, "I’ll take that from here," offering no explanation, apology, or further information to Alex's father.
Weeks later, the family's worst fears were confirmed when a whistleblower from within the funeral home allegedly reached out, verifying that the bag indeed contained Alex Pinon's brain. The lawsuit further levels shocking accusations of severe negligence, claiming that Singh subsequently placed the brain in a box and left it in the funeral home’s outdoor courtyard for nearly two and a half months. An employee later discovered the neglected box, reportedly overwhelmed by the "smell of what was described as 'a rotting human brain'."
Attorney Habbas sharply criticised the handling of the situation, stating, "Errors can happen. But what cannot happen, and what should not happen, is that you cover up your errors, and that's what the funeral home has done here."
When ABC7 News reporters attempted to question Anita Singh at her home regarding how such a profound mistake could occur, she reportedly stepped back and declined to comment.
The lawsuit is currently ongoing, with Alex Pinon’s family now facing the agonising task of negotiating plans to finally reunite his brain with the rest of his remains.
