NEW LONDON, CT (WFSB) -
After watching an Eyewitness News broadcast, companies are stepping up to help a grieving mother after she put a deposit on a headstone that still has not arrived.
Pascual Bonilla Jr., who was a father of three, died of a liver condition in December.
In March, the family of Bonilla ordered and paid $460 for a gravestone with Maynard's Waterford Monumental Works. Owner Steve Maynard told Bonilla's mother that he would get back to her in four weeks. However, the only contact that she has had with him is a text in May.
"I was just floored that someone would have total disrespect for another family," said Tri County Memorials Owner Philip Costanzo.
On Wednesday, three headstone companies have contacted the Bonilla's mother Damaris Rivas after seeing the report on WFSB.com.
"I saw it and I was like, wow. This is wrong. Absolutely wrong," Costanzo said.
Along with Tri County Memorials in Willimantic and Norwich, Dominick and Sons Monument Works in Colchester and Clark Family Memorials in Manchester have reached out to help. All offering to get Rivas a personalized headstone that her son deserves.
"It will make me feel good. Yeah," said Damaris Rivas. "And happy that he finally has his stone."
She added that she is still upset with Maynard about taking her money and she'll have trouble trusting another company again.
"That's when people are the most vulnerable, and it shouldn't be that way," Costanzo said.
Eyewitness News visited Maynard's Waterford Monumental Works, which was started 60 years ago, and it does not appear open. The phone number for the location is out of service. Family members of Maynard were also unclear if Monumental Works is still open.
Reporters visited Maynard's home, but still there was no answer.
According to state records, Monumental Works was dissolved in 2002 and the Better Business Bureau gives it a "F" rating for failing to respond to complaints.
Since the Eyewitness News report, the attorney general has gotten ahold of Maynard. Customers of Maynard's have reached out to WFSB and said they were victims of the same scam.
Stay with Eyewitness News for updates as they become available.
Copyright 2012 WFSB (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
