In a grim discovery earlier this month, six bodies and 154 cremated remains were found in a California warehouse, sparking an investigation into the deceased and the business linked to the remains, WKBN reported Saturday.
The warehouse, located in Hayward, California, was connected to Oceanview Cremations, a crematorium that had its business license suspended five years ago, according to the Alameda County Sheriff's Office.
Despite the suspension and a ban on storing remains on its premises, the California Cemetery and Funeral Board notified the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau on Feb. 28 that Oceanview Cremations was still in operation.
The following day, investigators from the bureau went to the warehouse and recovered the remains, which were taken in by Oceanview Cremations in 2020 and 2021. Five of the bodies were identified, but the owner of Oceanview Cremations, Robert Smith, could not provide "viable information" about the location of death or next of kin for the sixth individual.
Authorities contacted the families of the identified bodies, who reported that their attempts to contact Smith about their loved ones had gone unanswered. Some said they believed their relatives' remains had already been cremated or scattered at sea as requested.
Oceanview Cremations has garnered a reputation for poor service. According to one Yelp reviewer, Smith had taken her money and failed to respond to more than 100 emails and daily phone calls. Another warned potential customers to "be ready to be angry, confused, gaslit, and lied to."
The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau took possession of two of the bodies discovered in the warehouse, while a county-contracted funeral home took the other four bodies and the 154 cremated remains. The investigation into Oceanview Cremations and its operations is ongoing.
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