The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office allegedly sent Auroaanne De La Torre-Johnston's remains to be cremated without her parent's knowledge.
A California couple mourning the loss of their day-old infant saw their living nightmare worsen when they learned their baby girl’s body had been cremated, allegedly without their permission.
Michael Johnston and Yvette De La Torre welcomed their newborn daughter May 27, telling CBS Los Angeles that their child was in perfect health when she came into the world at Beverly Hospital in Montebello.
“Very alert, very awake — she was the loudest baby in the ward, apparently,” Johnston told the news station.
But by May 28, Auroaanne De La Torre-Johnston was dead, the reason unclear.
Read: Family Sues Funeral Home After Body of 25-Year-Old Woman Goes Missing
“We have no clue,” her devastated father said.
Her remains were sent to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office to determine the official cause of death, an answer to a question her parents were unable to comprehend.
When the couple called last week to check on the progress of the investigation, they claimed they were met with another unexpected tragedy – their child’s body had been cremated.
"I said ‘Where is my daughter? What did you do with my daughter?'" Johnston told CBS.
The coroner's office reportedly told the couple that a message had been left on their answering machine stating that they had 30 days to retrieve their daughter’s body.
Read: Deceased Woman's Family Finds Wrong Body in Casket at Funeral Home: Report
And if they did not pick up her body within that time frame, it would be disposed of, the coroner’s office reportedly said in the message. The couple said they never received such a message.
InsideEdition.com has reached out to the coroner's office for comment.
A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment to CBS, citing concerns over a potential lawsuit.
Little Auroaanne’s cause of death is still not clear.
Watch: Family Outraged That Wrong Body Was Brought For Mom's Service and Cremation
