Rodents get into uncared for caskets at N.J. cemetery, report says

State officials are investigating a report showing filled caskets piled seven high and rodents caught in one in a Hillside cemetery.

An unidentified woman told RLS Media that she saw the open coffin in Evergreen Cemetery and Crematory last weekend when she was visiting to see if her grandmother had been buried.

“The consumer affairs department has received no complaint about the incident identified in the article,” a spokeswoman said in a statement emailed to NJ Advance Media. “However, the Cemetery Board is aware of allegations relating to the soil conditions in a specific area of ​​Evergreen Cemetery and the matter is currently being investigated.”

The woman told the website that a body was uncovered in the open coffin.

While the 115 acre cemetery is primarily in Hillside, parts are also in Newark and Elizabeth.

A woman who answered the phone in the cemetery on Wednesday declined to answer questions. “We’re not making a statement at the moment,” she said. She said information would only be released if a letter was written and sent to the cemetery.

Consumers wishing to report an issue with a nonsectarian regulated cemetery can file a complaint online or call 1-800-242-5846 to receive a complaint form in the mail.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe to NJ.com today.

Jeff Goldman can be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com.