U.S. & World
Dead body left in grocery store aisle for hours while customers shopped, workers say

Published: Jul. 13, 2026, 9:08 a.m.
By Geoff Herbert | gherbert@syracuse.com

A dead body was left in the aisle of a grocery store for hours while customers shopped, according to employees.

CBS reports workers at a Vons supermarket in the Granada Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, said a shopper suffered a medical emergency in the bakery aisle on July 5. Paszion Horner-Smith, a supervisor, and another employee performed CPR in an attempt to save them.

The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene just after 7 p.m. for a report of cardiac arrest. The LAPD also responded for a “death investigation.” ... But the store remained opened for business while the dead body laid there for hours.

Horner-Smith said her corporate manager told her to cover up the body with shopping carts and umbrellas. The customer’s family was at the store with the body for four hours until a mortuary removed the remains.

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