Funeral home owner charged

Mark B. Allen accused of improper care of 11 bodies, a violation of the state health and safety code

The owner of a former Sun Valley funeral home was charged with 22 misdemeanors for alleged failure to properly bury the remains of 11 people, including infants, who were found in various stages of decay and mummification, the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said on Friday.

“When a loved one passes away … it's incredibly painful,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said. “And we at the barest minimum expect the funeral home to which our loved one's remains have been sent to treat our family member with decency and dignity at this last moment.”

His office filed the criminal misdemeanor charges against Mark B. Allen, who owned Mark B. Allen Mortuary and Cremation Services, which is now closed.

Feuer said family members filed complaints about the funeral home, and officials with the state's Cemetery and Funeral Bureau launched an investigation, along with the Los Angeles Police Department and the coroner's office.

Officials went to the location on two occasions over the course of a year and found the remains of 11 people that they say did not receive proper care.

“The odor from inside the facility was so great that officials could detect it outside the facility,” Feuer said. “How would you feel if that was your loved one?”

Allen was charged for each body with violating two sections of the California Health and Safety Code.

If convicted of all of the charges, Allen could face up to $110,000 in fines and up to 11 years in jail.

Allen could not be found for comment.

“Eleven people died, including very young children, and the funeral director hired to compassionately prepare the bodies for burial allegedly just let them rot, with neither the decency nor the dignity that all our loved ones deserve,” Feuer said.

“Their deaths are one tragedy, and this alleged monstrous mistreatment is a second tragedy.”