Los Angeles County workers will bury the unclaimed remains of 1,489 people in a mass grave today.
“This holiday season, many of us are reminded of how fortunate we are to be surrounded by our loved ones,” Supervisor Don Knabe said at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, before calling for a moment of silence for those less fortunate.
“These are individuals who … have no one but the county to provide them with a respectful, dignified burial,” Knabe said. “Some are homeless. Some are poor. Some have no families to grieve for them.”
The remains of those being buried at the Los Angeles County Crematory and Cemetery in Boyle Heights weren’t claimed by family or friends. The county generally holds the cremated remains for about two years before burial.
“Each of their lives truly mattered,” Knabe said.
