A grandmother was mistakenly presumed dead, placed in a body bag, and stored in a freezer, only to be discovered still alive later. Maria de Jesus Arroyo suffered a cardiac arrest at her home in Boyle Heights, LA, on July 26, 2010. She was taken to White Memorial Medical Center, where doctors declared her dead. However, it was revealed that she had been mistakenly stored in a morgue freezer while she was still alive, resulting in her eventual death from extreme cold.

The family filed a lawsuit against the hospital, claiming negligence, after finding Maria alive in the body bag during preparations for her funeral. A pathologist hired by the family concluded that she had been conscious when placed in the freezer and had sustained injuries while trying to escape the freezing conditions.

Despite the hospital’s denial of any wrongdoing and assertion that proper procedures were followed, a court ruled in favor of the family, reinstating their wrongful death and medical malpractice lawsuit. The court stated that the family had no reason to suspect Maria was alive when placed in the morgue, justifying their delayed legal action.

Attorney Scott Schutzman, representing the Arroyo family, described the incident as a nightmare scenario, emphasizing the horrific experience of trying to escape from a zippered bag. White Memorial Medical Center was approached for comment but has not responded.